City Council blazes forward with approval of marijuana emporiums

Pullman City Council adopted draft regulations for the zoning area in which up to three new marijuana facilities will be allowed to conduct business.

Planning Director Pete Dickinson went before City Council with the draft regulations he presented a few weeks ago to answer questions from the council. The council voted to adopt the regulations, which will become official March 6. The 6-month moratorium approved in September banning production and processing of recreational use marijuana will expire on this date as well.

Marijuana retail facilities will be allowed in what is known as the C3 general commercial zone, industrial areas near the north side of the city.

“What’s next is we wait for the state on which licenses it wants to grant,” said Dickinson. “Eventually we will meet with licensees to seek approval.”

There are 11 applicants who have applied for recreational marijuana licenses. These applicants are currently being reviewed by the Washington State Liquor Control Board.  Dickinson said, based on an analysis done by planning, four of the applicants meet state requirements and the requirements of the regulations.

The state liquor control board affirms a 1,000-foot buffer zone recognizing the existence of schools, daycare centers and parks, which would restrict the locations of recreational marijuana shops.

The three facilities planned for Pullman will have to observe a maximum size limit of 6,000 square feet.

Council member Al Sorensen asked Dickinson if the amount a person could buy in a day would be limited – though the amount of marijuana a person can legally carry is one ounce, a person may take the ounce home and keep going back for more.

Dickinson said there was no limit on that front, as long as it did not violate the state regulations on marijuana usage.

Sorensen also expressed his concern for monitoring and policing marijuana use in public.

“We don’t even monitor smoking within 25 feet of the entrance to a building anymore,” Sorensen said. “So we need to stay on top of this and make sure the state laws are being followed.”

Council members were particularly curious about zoning policy for marijuana facilities that were already established business in the future. Council member Pat Wright asked what if a sensitive use group, such as a child care center, wanted to move to a location that was closer than 1,000 feet.

Dickinson explained that the group could move next to the retail facility if it chose to though it could not be the other way around.

“I think it’s an important move forward for the public, it’s what they wanted,” said council member Nathan Weller. “We’ll see how things go; we’re charting new territory now.”