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Two Sides of the Coin

A temporary ban on dispensaries in Spokane may be considered good news . . . and bad
 

As state officials here in Washington continue to work out the distribution, taxation and legal details of Initiative 502 and its adult-use provisions, some agenci

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A temporary ban on dispensaries in Spokane may be considered good news . . . and bad

 

As state officials here in Washington continue to work out the distribution, taxation and legal details of Initiative 502 and its adult-use provisions, some agencies are taking a wait-and-see attitude towards how they will handle any new incoming MMJ access points. In essence, they are waiting for the I-502 rules are written and set before figuring out how to tackle the medical side of the coin.

Such is the case in Spokane, where city officials there enacted a moratorium on any new medical cannabis dispensaries. The moratorium could go on for the next six months—or even up to a year, giving time for the state Liquor Control Board to issue the new I-502 regulations.

Kevin Oliver, the executive director for NORML’s Washington branch told CULTURE last month that he believes that the moratorium is a good idea.

“I don’t think the entire city council is anti-cannabis. They just don’t want 100 more quasi-legal dispensaries to open before they implement a legal redistribution system,” he says. “They don’t want an unregulated system running next to [Spokane’s existing MMJ access points].”

Although the moratorium is disconcerting to some, signs are positive that the wait won’t take long. “Yesterday, the city hired the consulting team that would be advising them on how to implement the system,” says Oliver. “Everything indicates that they are moving forward.”

What typically happens when cannabis is legalized in any way—be it medical or recreational—by a state, the federal government will typically raid dispensaries or prosecute caregivers, claiming the plant’s illegal status as per the Controlled Substances Act. Does Oliver believe this will happen in the wake of I-502?

“The best way to describe the mood up here would be cautious optimism,’” Oliver says.

He believes that once the Liquor Control Board hammers out the details, the federal government will back off.

“When all of the legal marijuana is put through a licensed system, there’s a better chance the federal government will relax because they won’t have to enforce anything,” he says.

How do the remaining medical dispensary owners feel about the new moratorium? “It’s a good idea,” says Larry, a local collective owner. “We applauded when it happened, because it was the first time we felt officially recognized by the Spokane City Council.”

“Washington State hasn’t set up parameters on how to legally distribute and sell cannabis,” Larry says. “It’s best to keep things small until a proper system is set up.”

While Washington NORML isn’t going to protest the moratorium, Oliver believes that the public should pay attention. “We are going to ask supporters to show up for the next couple of Spokane City Council meetings, so they can stay aware and informed.”

There are some who do believe that the moratorium is a threat to their legal rights, and they have voiced their concerns. They believe that the feds could sweep in and close the rest of the dispensaries, leaving patients without a legal source of cannabis.

Oliver’s professional opinion is that this is not going to occur.

“There is definitely a local group that has been vocal about their protest. Their attorneys have warned them that bad things could potentially happen, but I don’t believe that is the case. The sky isn’t falling,” he says.

wanorml.org

 

Close to Home

Despite the pros and cons of Spokane’s temporary ban on access points, some proponents say the city’s moratorium isn’t a big deal because I-502 will guarantee access to medicine. Besides that, Spokane’s moratorium doesn’t affect the rights patients already have: homegrowing. “According to state law, medical marijuana patients are still allowed to grow up to 15 plants,” Washington NORML Executive Director Kevin Oliver told CULTURE. “If you really are a collective,” Oliver says, “you are going to be fine.”

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