Jacob Bell
New Member
Mukilteo, WA--Just over a month after the Mukilteo City Council adopted interim regulations for medical marijuana gardens, the city held a public hearing to review them.
No one spoke during the public hearing.
With no immediate issues to examine, the council on Sept. 6 took no action to revise the regulations. They remain unchanged, for now. Several councilmembers are in disagreement over the restrictiveness of the regulations.
"You guys probably won't see them at the podium because there is a stigma that there are people in our community who are benefited by this," said Council Vice President Jennifer Gregerson, adding that Mukilteo patients have contacted her about the issue.
City staff last week did not recommend any changes to the interim regulations adopted Aug. 1, which limit "collective gardens" to light industrial zones, and further restrict them by a 500-foot distance requirement.
Legally, the regulations may be in effect for up to six months while city staff work on permanent regulations.
The city expects to present the council with regulations for permanent adoption by next year, city lawyer Angela Belbeck said.
"We are looking at permanent regulations at this time, and are going to have additional opportunity for public comment as those regulations move forward," she said.
A state law adopted in July allows qualifying patients to grow medical marijuana together in a "collective garden." Up to 10 patients at a time may grow up to 45 plants. Dispensaries and grow farms are still illegal in the state.
The law also authorizes cities to adopt and enforce zoning requirements regarding the production of medical marijuana.
Officials said two collective gardens were established before the city adopted interim regulations. Those gardens are "grandfathered in" and are subject only to state regulations.
Since adopting the interim regulations, the city has received no applications for new gardens.
Several inquiries about them have been made, however, and up to three potential applicants may be actively seeking lease space for their gardens, Belbeck said.
The potential applicants seem to be having difficulty locating a landlord willing to rent space for a garden, she said.
Councilmember Tony Tinsley said he is concerned that the adopted regulations not be too restrictive. He advised staff to "think very carefully" when drafting regulations so that it doesn't prevent patients from benefiting from the gardens, but — at the same time — also safeguards the rights of Mukilteo citizens.
"While there is a lot of negative feeling toward drug use in our society, and rightly so, nevertheless, some drugs and particularly marijuana have some health promoting benefits, and I think it's important for people to have legal access," Tinsley said.
Gregerson said she is satisfied with the regulations as they are — for now — but that in the future she may ask to loosen some of the restrictions "here and there."
Councilmember Linda Grafer, however, said she likes that the restrictions are tough, especially when she starts to think of the potential number of gardens in Mukilteo.
"How many gardens does a town of 20,000 people need to serve those people?" she said.
"I think of the two that are grandfathered in, and I'm very glad the restrictions are tight. I hope they stay that way."
To Councilmember Emily Vanderwielen, the regulations aren't yet restrictive enough.
"Kids are having no problem getting ahold of marijuana," Vanderwielen said. "That does increase [the time] our police officers spend in patrolling, which means it's paying taxes out of your pocket to promote safety in our community."
News Hawk- Jacob Ebel 420 MAGAZINE
Source: mukilteobeacon.com
Author: Sara Bruestle
Contact: Contact Us
Copyright: Beacon Publishing, Inc.
Website: Council Disagrees on Medical Marijuana Rules
No one spoke during the public hearing.
With no immediate issues to examine, the council on Sept. 6 took no action to revise the regulations. They remain unchanged, for now. Several councilmembers are in disagreement over the restrictiveness of the regulations.
"You guys probably won't see them at the podium because there is a stigma that there are people in our community who are benefited by this," said Council Vice President Jennifer Gregerson, adding that Mukilteo patients have contacted her about the issue.
City staff last week did not recommend any changes to the interim regulations adopted Aug. 1, which limit "collective gardens" to light industrial zones, and further restrict them by a 500-foot distance requirement.
Legally, the regulations may be in effect for up to six months while city staff work on permanent regulations.
The city expects to present the council with regulations for permanent adoption by next year, city lawyer Angela Belbeck said.
"We are looking at permanent regulations at this time, and are going to have additional opportunity for public comment as those regulations move forward," she said.
A state law adopted in July allows qualifying patients to grow medical marijuana together in a "collective garden." Up to 10 patients at a time may grow up to 45 plants. Dispensaries and grow farms are still illegal in the state.
The law also authorizes cities to adopt and enforce zoning requirements regarding the production of medical marijuana.
Officials said two collective gardens were established before the city adopted interim regulations. Those gardens are "grandfathered in" and are subject only to state regulations.
Since adopting the interim regulations, the city has received no applications for new gardens.
Several inquiries about them have been made, however, and up to three potential applicants may be actively seeking lease space for their gardens, Belbeck said.
The potential applicants seem to be having difficulty locating a landlord willing to rent space for a garden, she said.
Councilmember Tony Tinsley said he is concerned that the adopted regulations not be too restrictive. He advised staff to "think very carefully" when drafting regulations so that it doesn't prevent patients from benefiting from the gardens, but — at the same time — also safeguards the rights of Mukilteo citizens.
"While there is a lot of negative feeling toward drug use in our society, and rightly so, nevertheless, some drugs and particularly marijuana have some health promoting benefits, and I think it's important for people to have legal access," Tinsley said.
Gregerson said she is satisfied with the regulations as they are — for now — but that in the future she may ask to loosen some of the restrictions "here and there."
Councilmember Linda Grafer, however, said she likes that the restrictions are tough, especially when she starts to think of the potential number of gardens in Mukilteo.
"How many gardens does a town of 20,000 people need to serve those people?" she said.
"I think of the two that are grandfathered in, and I'm very glad the restrictions are tight. I hope they stay that way."
To Councilmember Emily Vanderwielen, the regulations aren't yet restrictive enough.
"Kids are having no problem getting ahold of marijuana," Vanderwielen said. "That does increase [the time] our police officers spend in patrolling, which means it's paying taxes out of your pocket to promote safety in our community."
News Hawk- Jacob Ebel 420 MAGAZINE
Source: mukilteobeacon.com
Author: Sara Bruestle
Contact: Contact Us
Copyright: Beacon Publishing, Inc.
Website: Council Disagrees on Medical Marijuana Rules
