Hundreds of medical marijuana shops to shut down with new state rule kicking in Friday

JUNE 30, 2016 | HANA KIM

There were empty shelves Thursday at Puget Sound Health Alternatives, which is among hundreds of medical marijuana dispensaries forced to shut down by July 1 because they don’t have a recreational pot license.

Some say they are pleased to see the dispensaries go away because they say there are too many unlicensed medical marijuana dispensaries across the state.

But Meagan Holt says the vanishing industry threatens the health of her 3-year-old daughter, Maddie.

“I am saving my daughter’s life with cannabis,” Holt said.

Maddie has Zellweger syndrome, a terminal illness that destroys the brain.

“Madeline is deaf, blind, completely dependent on a feeding tube; she has seizures,” Holt said.

Hundreds of medical marijuana shops to shut down with new state rule kicking in Friday