County Council sets pot store buffers; moratorium lifted

NOAH HAGLUND | Feb 16th, 2017

A divided Snohomish County Council decided Wednesday to impose buffers and other new restrictions on pot stores, ending a moratorium in place since June.

A 3-2 council majority voted for a separation of 2,500 feet between any future marijuana retailers that open in unincorporated areas.

Councilman Terry Ryan, a Democrat from Mill Creek, voted with the majority. He said the regulations were designed to address the downsides of having pot businesses clustered along stretches of Highway 99 and the Bothell-Everett Highway. Other business owners had complained that an abundance of marijuana stores was making their commercial districts less appealing and less safe.

County Council sets pot store buffers; moratorium lifted