Everett Council Votes To Increase Retail Marijuana Locations From Five To Eight

In a vote of 6 to 1 the Everett City Council has voted to increase the number of retail marijuana locations from the current allotment of five to eight. For the past few years the number of stores has been capped by city ordinance at five while the State of Washington has said Everett is authorized to have ten stores. This past spring the City Council Public Safety Committee studied the impacts of retail marijuana stores since legalization a few years ago and came up with the number of eight. One thing the committee said they wanted to make sure happened was that any new stores be certified by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board as a medical marijuana provider.

In addition to setting the number of stores at eight the council also maintained the separation requirement between marijuana stores at a minimum of twenty-five hundred feet. Scott Bader was the lone no vote on the ordinance. He explained that adding additional locations would give a negative image for the City. He also expressed concerns that neighboring cities are not adding or allowing marijuana stores.

Councilmember Brenda Stonecipher who chairs the Public Safety Committee said she was against allowing a monopoly and limiting the number of stores at five was not a good idea. “Consumers do better when there is more competition,” said Stonecipher. “It is not a bad idea to have more competition.”

Paul Roberts voiced the idea of retail marijuana stores making it harder for the black market to operate. Liz Vogeli who has led the charge for additional marijuana stores for the past year says she’s happy to see three more brick and mortar stores paying taxes and fees to the City.

Scott Murphy stressed the need for medical marijuana users to be able to get their needs met and supported the argument requiring medical marijuana certification for the new stores. Jeff Moore says he’s still a skeptic and will be checking to make sure the medical certification is actively promoted by the new stores. Council President Tuohy says she was also supportive of the ordinance as a member of the Public Safety Committee and did think the 2500 foot separation was important.