FOLLOWUP: Liquor Cannabis Board says it seized $50,000+ of marijuana from Smoke Shop
Last night, we reported briefly on a state Liquor and Cannabis Board action against The Smoke Shop in downtown White Center. Today, we asked the LCB for details; here’s the reply from spokesperson Brian Smith:
Enforcement received a tip that “The Smoke Shop”, an LCB licensed tobacco and vapor products retailer located at 9823 16th Ave SW in White Center, was illegally selling marijuana, including to minors. An LCB Officer entered the store yesterday afternoon and made an undercover buy from a clerk.
The officer paid $50 for 9 grams of flower. After the purchase, the officer obtained a search warrant for the smoke shop. LCB enforcement officers executed the search warrant yesterday afternoon. Three King County deputies also assisted. The officers located over 13 pounds of marijuana flower, concentrates and pre-rolled joints in the smoke shop. The retail value of the product was estimated at over $50,000.00.
The clerk was arrested by LCB officers and booked into the King County jail. The marijuana, a 12-gauge shotgun, and approximately $2,700 were seized as evidence. The shotgun was located in a backroom safe with the marijuana and cash. During the operation, officers also contacted a 19-year-old minor who purchased marijuana from the store. Officers will be recommending felony charges for unlawful possession and distribution of a controlled substance (RCW 69.50.401). LBC will also be serving a violation to The Smoke Shop for operating the tobacco and vapor licensed business in violation of chapter 69.50 RCW (RCW 70.155.150). The penalty of the AVN is revocation of both the tobacco and vapor product licenses.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
March 29th, 2018 at 12:11 pm
I wonder if this cannabis is some of the stuff that has been stolen in break-ins and hold ups to legal pot shops.
March 30th, 2018 at 1:26 am
Uhmm don’t they mean27,000cash an 5000 worth of weed$$$huh must be type o ?!
March 31st, 2018 at 9:45 am
Kick em out ! That place was infested with losers. Also can we please enforce a 4 hour parking rule in White Center. Seriously. Try and go there to eat and after 20 mins of no parking we goto Burien. business’s Got that???
April 1st, 2018 at 9:03 am
The businesses have no authority to police street parking. That would be up to the King County Sheriff who, to my knowledge, does not have Parking Enforcement Officers anyway so good luck with that. They’re just not set up to manage urban issues like street parking turnover.
Doesn’t seem like the quick cash from illegally selling pot was worth losing their whole store. Hopefully the space doesn’t sit empty for too long after their license is pulled. There are enough empty storefronts in downtown WC as it is.
April 1st, 2018 at 5:54 pm
That pot was being sold there has been a rather open secret for quite some time. (Local officers reported their suspicions to the North Highline Unincorporated Council months ago.) This store was apparently the unlicensed 6th operating marijuana store in the greater White Center community.
King County would do well to permit more places in the unincorporated county to have retail cannabis stores than in only White Center, Skyway and Vashon. Right now, though, it looks like that won’t happen until 2020 at the earliest …
April 2nd, 2018 at 10:07 am
Question mark I am taking a guess it took some time to build a case. Also to work with multiple agencies to close down the place and stop the non taxed and illegal sales also stop the underage sales. Keep it closed
April 2nd, 2018 at 3:32 pm
Hopefully clearing this out will improve the area. I know a lot of people blamed the goings on at the Smoke Shop for the troubles in the surrounding area.
April 5th, 2018 at 4:06 pm
Local person, if you thought I meant more places in White Center, I did not. King County now prohibits any marijuana stores (via zoning) in the populated areas of unincorporated King County where the vast majority of its residents now live. And that’s why there are so many that have been licensed in White Center.
April 7th, 2018 at 1:25 pm
I dident mean anything about more places. I just ment what said . It probly took time for the police and lcb to make sure they had a good case on this smoke shop to close it down. Make the arrest needed.
I also don’t understand why is it that any comment with you. You complain about the number cannabis shops in white center. When there are two or three on one block and 3 on another block about mile or two away that all have small or limited parking area’s. People in the area are not going broke shopping at these stores ether most are actally saving money by getting involed in discount clubs for the amount of visits or purchases. Compared to shopping on the street. There all getting safe healthy pot that is not paying gang members bills. They all check id’s and if not they get caught and fined. Also it’s been reported that you live in the skyway area but you come to the blogs in white center or burien to comment on story’s about cannabis shops. Like king county planed to drive people of low income into more proverty but you have no reaserch to back that statement up with. I have seen the study’s that say teen use is going down and opiod prescripstion are going down in area’s with legal cannabis. Your up to own opinion but I don’t see your argument.
April 9th, 2018 at 9:19 pm
I don’t know if you are aware of this, but White Center has more open retail marijuana stores than the neighborhoods of West Seattle, Delridge, South Park, Beacon Hill and the Rainier Valley in Seattle *combined*. And this is directly the result of the policies of King County local government.
I get that some may cheer the result. The fact that the stores are legal places to buy pot doesn’t change the fact that the policies at the local government level are simply bogus.
April 11th, 2018 at 5:41 pm
That odd because when doing a google search there some around the neighborhoods you have mention. In the beacon hill area there are 3 south park is right down at the end of Myers way nibin west settle and star 21 are less than a mile away. Del ridge is right on the other side of white center there also a few medical shops in that area.
Also your argument started out a couple of years ago that there are to many pot shops they were to close to children and ice cream shop with a few pinball machines (that also has a 21+ bar). Now your saying you want more in other neighborhoods. You also where involved in the mortium on pot shops in king county. You also have to deal with the city of Seattle for most of the areas you mention. So I don’t get why your complaining on a white center blog go to king county or Seattle and complain there. Ask people to open shops in those areas. See if there is a need for shops in those area or are there plenty near by.
See this why your argument does not make very much sense.
April 11th, 2018 at 6:26 pm
Just a correction. There are only two marijuana stores in all of West Seattle, as in north of Roxbury. Neither is in Delridge. They are Origins at 40th/Edmunds and Canna on California SW between the Alaska and Morgan Junctions.
April 12th, 2018 at 3:13 am
West Seattle is part of Seattle which is a city with a allotted amount of pot shops. Like most city per there size. The state and the city’s local governments across the state came up with the allotted number of pot shops. But in the unincorporated areas like white center didn’t have a allotted amount of store’s. So with lower rental fees and available spots. We have 5 pot shops in white center. I thought there was another one but I guess they went out of business ( not the smoke shop). We have Bud nation and Ike’s on 15th ave then we have nibin west Seattle cannabis and star 21 over on 1st ave/ Myers way.
But anytime anything comes up in the news about pot in white center this questionmark person comes complaining. He started about a couple years ago complaining about a pot shop in skyway that happened to be near a school bus. Then he also complain that the pot shop on 15 the are too close to full tilt ice cream because they have a few pinball machines that don’t count as arcade. But questionmark thought it was. Also full tilt has a 21+ bar in the same location.
From what he thinks is king county has set these rules of allotted stores in citys so the unincorporated areas would be packed with pot shops. That are also in low income areas. That king county did this to keep the low income being more in poverty. But he doesn’t seem to have research to prove this thought is right or wrong.
But he now seems to be under the thought that it’s unfair for unincorporated areas to have more pot shops than the city’s.
My thought is this guy just wants to complain no matter what happens.
April 12th, 2018 at 3:15 am
A school bus stop sorry I missed a word
April 13th, 2018 at 6:43 pm
The store is not closed