MY EVERETT NEWS

After a year, Everett wants more time to study medical marijuana.

Last July, the Everett City Council declared an emergency and passed two ordinances that covered collective gardens for medical marijuana. The first allowed collective gardens in the city’s agricultural zone which lies in the central-eastern part of the city off the Lowell-Larimer road. The second established an emergency moratorium on applications for the collective gardens for a period of one year. At the time the city said it needed time to study the issue further and instructed staff to follow a work plan that would review existing laws and regulations, monitor disputes between the State and Feds regarding medical marijuana and review laws and their effects in other jurisdictions. That one year time frame is rapidly approaching and Tuesday the Everett Planning Commission is holding a public hearing regarding extending the ban on applications past the initial year authorized by the City Council. The Planning Commission hearing is set for Tuesday night, June 16th at the Weyerhaeuser room of Everett Station at 3201 Smith Street. For more information on the hearing you can contact Everett’s Planning Department at (425) 257-8731.

I had a chance to speak with Everett Mayor Ray Stephanson after the Everett City Council unanimously approved his administration’s request to allow cooperative medical marijuana gardens under State Law but not while a 12 month moratorium is in effect. Here’s what he had to say…
Everett Mayor on Moratorium

16 people testified in front of the Everett City Council and all of them asked the city not to impose a moratorium. One of the people who spoke, operates a dispensary in north Everett. He has a business license and even a City of Everett occupancy permit. Here’s what the Mayor says will happen with his shop and others like it…
Everett Mayor on dispensaries

Because the ordinances were considered emergencies, they go into effect immediately. Philip Dawdy, with the WA Cannabis Association says he wasn’t overly surprised by the decision but believes it’s the first time a city has been unanimous in votes against medical marijuana. He was instrumental in the writing and passage of Seattle’s ordinance regulating medical marijuana dispensaries and tells me the City of Kent is now already re-considering its moratorium.

Everett City Councilman Ron Gipson asked that the city of Everett revisit the issue in three months, not 12.

Everett wants to allow collective gardens, but not for a year.

Next Wednesday, July 20th, the Everett City Council will be asked to consider two emergency ordinances being proposed by the City’s Administration.
The first is a land use ordinance that would allow collective gardens in certain areas of Everett that are zoned for agricultural use. The collective garden would require approval from the city of Everett’s Planning Director and only one garden would be allowed per lot. (with lot size as defined in the city’s agricultural zoning code)
The second ordinance asks the council to place a moratorium on all collective gardens for one year so the city can study the issue further.
Everett City Public Information Director Kate Reardon tells me, “We are trying to avoid people abusing the ambiguity of the law while staying true to the compassionate purposes of the law.” The reason for the request as emergency ordinances is the new State Medical Marijuana Law goes into effect on July 22nd and they would like to have this on the books immediately after the council vote on July 20th.
As far as buying, selling or trading medical marijuana within the city limits of Everett, you still can’t. Reardon tells me that as the City of Everett reads the new law, medical marijuana dispensaries are not legal and Everett does not acknowledge them.

The Healing Connection is Everett is looking for a few good marijuana growers

I guess you’d file this one under “The times they are a changin” As I was eating lunch this week and scanning across the front page of the Little Nickel Wants Ads I came across this ad by an Everett based company called “The Healing Connection”. They were looking for an instructor to teach cannabis classes and tend to their 2100 square foot grow op and green house. They are also taking applications for unpaid interns. Looks like lawmakers better make some type of decision on medical marijuana soon cause ads like this have to attract crooks, cops, people who need medical marijuana and who knows what else…