Medical-marijuana businesses: What now?
The proliferation of medical-marijuana enterprises is on the agenda at the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council tomorrow (Thursday) night. King County Councilmember Joe McDermott will discuss it while speaking to the council, according to NHUAC councilmember Barbara Dobkin.
This comes while new medical-marijuana businesses continue to open in the unincorporated area, even as the push toward state regulation is mired in political disagreement. Just a few days ago, WCN contributor Deanie Schwarz found another one that has just opened:
She reports: Cannabis Oasis, located at 11109 1st Ave. So., opened for business more than two weeks ago in the Top Hat area as a nonprofit medical marijuana dispensary. This is the third known medical cannabis related operation that has just opened or will soon open in the area, along with Herban Legends and Green Piece, both located on 16th Ave. in the central White Center business district. (In neighboring West Seattle, at least two medical-marijuana enterprises are currently in operation and actively marketing themselves, while there are reportedly others that are keeping a low profile; a third that plans to operate openly is coming to 35th/Roxbury.)
State legislators are hoping to get a new bill approved during their current special session, to make up for what was lost when Governor Gregoire vetoed parts of the bill both houses had approved during the regular session. A key player in this is our area’s senior State Rep. Eileen Cody, since she chairs the health committee in the State House. We caught up with her in West Seattle last weekend to ask about the issue:
As for local authorities, we had spoken with them extensively while the now-gutted bill was still going through the State Legislature. They all had hoped for a consistent state law – but barring that, local control might be needed and that’s exactly what King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg has told Seattle Weekly – particularly considering one side effect of the governor’s action is apparently that one rule regarding providing marijuana to patients is about to get a lot tougher, and wasn’t originally intended to work out that way. That, according to our partners at the Seattle Times, leaves the current operators in fear of raids once the new law takes effect in July – unless changes are made before the Legislature’s special session runs out. Again, this is on the agenda for NHUAC tomorrow night – 7 pm, North Highline Fire District</strong> HQ (full agenda here).
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May 4th, 2011 at 12:18 pm
No More WHITE CENTER…Now its called “WEED CENTER”
May 4th, 2011 at 12:19 pm
Please note that all are welcome to the May 5, 7 pm North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meeting – if you have any concerns or would just like to add to the discussion of the medical marijuana facilities in White Center and Top Hat, please attend as the King County Council Representative, Joe McDermott, will be on hand to answer questions and address this important issue impacting our community. Looking forward to seeing you –
Meetings are held on the 1st Thursday of the month at the North Highline Fire Station – 1243 112 Street, SW
Please see our website for additional information:
northhighlineuac.org
May 4th, 2011 at 7:03 pm
The dispensary has been open for two weeks and now you have figured it out? Clearly this isn’t causing much harm. If so wouldn’t you have know about it? Just remember this is medication for patients. Like my sister who has MS. She has found more help with medical marijuana than any other treatment!We should open our eyes to alternative medicine and Educate Ourselves!!!
May 4th, 2011 at 7:47 pm
It’s not a matter of causing harm – that’s not the only thing that would make these enterprises newsworthy. Since these still are technically not legal, and the entire issue of their existence is up for state-level political debate, it’s worth noting. (Again, to review. Our state’s voters wanted medical marijuana to be legal but made no provision for dispensaries and that’s where all this “gray area” is coming from.) – TR
May 5th, 2011 at 11:04 am
If everyone is so pro mj for sick people then why is not sold at our local pharmacy. You would think this would make common sense. I tell you that it is so easy to get a card to buy pot its not funny. I was in a local pub the other day and a guy was so proud about his card. He said that all he had to do was claim stress from not working and that he could not sleep at night and bamm he got a card. I went to check out the dispensare in white center. There I talked to a guy outside about what was going on inside. During our talk he offered the names of doctors where they would give me a card to buy pot. Someone needs to check into this. It gives a bad name for the folks that realy need this.
May 6th, 2011 at 6:59 am
What’s the difference between a doc prescribing the marijuana or a combination of anti-depressants/anti-anxiety/sleep aids for the same symptoms? Despite the nebulous legality that is still being worked out, people are handed myriad drugs on a daily basis for every little malaise these days. I’m sure place that sells weed has a list of doctors they know are weed-friendly, just as the health supplement store knows the naturopaths that prescribe vitamins and herbal remedies, and just as the pharmacies know the docs that prescribe the big-name drugs. I’m not saying that everything the dispensaries are doing is or isn’t above board, but I am saying that so far all I’m hearing is the same stuff that goes on everywhere else, just with different names attached to it.
May 7th, 2011 at 12:25 pm
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