Pubdate: Fri, 28 Jun 2013
Source: Sammamish Review (WA)
Copyright: {2011} Sammamish Review
Contact:  http://sammamishreview.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/5274
Author: Ari Cetron

SAMMAMISH CONTINUES POT MORATORIUM UNTIL STATE REGULATIONS RELEASED

Sammamish will continue to take a wait-and-see attitude when it comes
to marijuana. The City Council June 17 voted to continue its
moratorium on collective marijuana gardens, and to impose a new one on
the licensing of facilities for voter-approved recreational marijuana.

In November, Washington legalized recreational marijuana with a
statewide vote. In Sammamish, 55 percent of voters approved I-502. It
won a majority in 42 of the city's 47 voting precincts.

Since the approval, the state Liquor Control Board has been engaged in
writing regulations for the growing, processing and sale of marijuana.
The board expects to complete its work by the end of the year.

Under the terms of the initiative, the drug cannot be sold, grown or
processed with 1,000 feet of places such as schools, day care centers
or parks.

One looming question, said Community Development Director Kamuron
Gurol, is how much local control there will be to restrict that even
further, if the city should want to.

"It's one of the more fundamental questions the council will have to
deal with," Gurol said.

In some ways, the question is academic. Sammamish has its parks and
schools fairly close to its commercial centers. As a result, most of
the city's existing commercial land would already be off limits under
the terms of the initiative.

The areas where marijuana could legally be sold turn out to be largely
residential, Gurol said.

Council members were interested in how the rule coming from the state
might shake out.

Councilwoman Nancy Whitten asked if people would be permitted to grow
their own for personal consumption.

While the state will regulate commercial growth, the final plan for
growing for personal consumption has not yet been released.

Councilman John Curley noted that people can presently brew their own
beer without any sort of regulation, so it seems they should be able
to grow their own marijuana.

Gurol noted that the state could begin to issue licenses in December,
and said the six-month moratorium will give the city a chance to
better understand the final version of state regulations, before proceeding.

Gurol also brought up the ban on collective gardens for medical
marijuana use. The city has had a temporary moratorium in place since
such gardens were authorized by the state in 2012.

Federal and state law is in conflict on the collective garden issue,
and the city thought it best to not insert itself into the possible
conflict.

Gurol said he understand that continuing a temporary moratorium is
generally frowned upon, but that at least one more six-month ban may
give the city enough time to better understand the rules.

In another wrinkle, the 1,000-foot rule banning the sale or growing
does not apply to collective gardens for medical marijuana, only for
recreational marijuana, which would likely complicate the permitting
process.

Councilman Don Gerend noted that both Issaquah and Redmond allow
collective gardens, so residents could potentially join groups there.
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