Tacoma to shut down medical marijuana businesses by summer

December 2, 2014 at 10:46 PM

Posted by Evan Bush

he Tacoma City Council will direct city officials to shut down medical marijuana businesses without a license this summer, according to the Tacoma News Tribune.

Like Seattle, the city has seen a rise of commercial medical marijuana operations. The News Tribune reports at least 56 unlicensed shops will be shut down.

“I’m ready to fire a shot across the bow and tell the illegal operations that it’s time to stop,” said Tacoma Councilmember Lauren Walker at the meeting, according to the News Tribune report.

Tacoma’s approach to medical marijuana is radically different than Seattle’s, reflecting the hazy status of medical marijuana regulation after the state Legislature failed last session to reconcile the industry with the new recreational marijuana system.

Seattle Mayor Ed Murray announced last week he would seek to create a regulatory system for the industry separate from the state’s recreational marijuana system. Murray hopes to create a special city license for large-scale medical marijuana operations that requires testing, restricts advertising and limits where these businesses can locate.

http://blogs.seattletimes.com/pot/2014/12/02/tacoma-to-shut-down-medical-marijuana-businesses-by-summer/