DIS-PATCHES NEARBY: Lakewood Says No To Growing, Dealing Or Toking Medical Marijuana

The City of Lakewood is standing firm on regulating medical marijuana.

Changes in state law this year have made pot dispensaries illegal while collective gardens are legal. City attorney Heidi Wachter recommended that Lakewood not move forward with licensing or zoning of medical marijuana at a Lakewood City Council study session Monday.

That means no dispensaries, no collective gardens and zero tolerance for the manufacturing, possessing or distribution of medical marijuana in Lakewood. This comes while some local jurisdictions are using recent legislation to implement zoning and business license requirements for collective gardens.

"Lakewood Municipal Code says it doesn't license illegal acts," Wachter said.

Collective gardens permit as many as 10 qualifying patients to jointly produce, grow and deliver as many as 45 marijuana plants for medical use. A memo issued by the city attorney's office stated Lakewood does not plan to issue a business license to any business that violates local, state and/or federal law.

State legislation changed medical marijuana laws this year and Gov. Christine Gregoire eliminated provisions that would make marijuana dispensaries legal. But a section of the law makes no restriction on where collective gardens may be located and no length of time a patient may be a member of a single collective garden. Collective gardens remain legal under state law but illegal under federal law.

Lakewood Mayor Douglas Richardson said he would not recommend going a route of allowing growing collective gardens. Bryan Thomas, a member of the Public Safety Advisory Committee, raised his concern about collective gardens being located near public schools, churches and daycare centers.

The memo presented by the city attorney said such impacts of a collective gardens may include robberies, burglaries and thefts associated with the cash and marijuana maintained on the site, increase in illegal drug se, increase in other crimes, increased vehicle and foot traffic, odor issues and lighting.

Lakewood Assistant City Mayor Dave Bugher said the city has been successful in keeping those business license requests from moving forward, for the most part.

"We've had requests for dispensaries," Bugher said. "The response is 'you need a business license.'"