EVERETT, Wash. Dozens of aspiring business owners are prepared to sue after Snohomish County Council members voted to ban marijuana growing in certain rural areas, according to a marijuana growers' advocacy group
Thirty-six growers are prepared to go to court according to Jamie Curtismith, a consultant who represents growers who are impacted by the rule change.
Snohomish County has allowed large producer/processor operations, but after a large number of residents voice concerns, council members enacted a moratorium in October. Now, there is a full-fledged ban in effect for so-called R-5 zones. Those are rural areas where the county typically allows only one house per five acres.
"They just led us down the garden path," said T.J. Worth, a grower in Arlington. He received a state license but did not get the proper county permits before October. Therefore Worth's five-acre operation will not be allowed in the eyes of the county despite spending thousands of dollars to launch his business.
"The whole point in the beginning was to give us guidance and framework so they could avoid litigation," Worth said.
Curtismith says 103 operators intended to move into R-5 zones. So far 35 operators have been licensed by the state liquor control board. But in R-5 zones, only six have both the proper state and county permits to be exempt from the ban.
link:
http://www.king5.com/story/news/loc...nty-changes-pot-growing-regulations/70916748/
http://www.king5.com/story/news/loc...na-growers-lawsuit-snohomish-county/70937436/
Thirty-six growers are prepared to go to court according to Jamie Curtismith, a consultant who represents growers who are impacted by the rule change.
Snohomish County has allowed large producer/processor operations, but after a large number of residents voice concerns, council members enacted a moratorium in October. Now, there is a full-fledged ban in effect for so-called R-5 zones. Those are rural areas where the county typically allows only one house per five acres.
"They just led us down the garden path," said T.J. Worth, a grower in Arlington. He received a state license but did not get the proper county permits before October. Therefore Worth's five-acre operation will not be allowed in the eyes of the county despite spending thousands of dollars to launch his business.
"The whole point in the beginning was to give us guidance and framework so they could avoid litigation," Worth said.
Curtismith says 103 operators intended to move into R-5 zones. So far 35 operators have been licensed by the state liquor control board. But in R-5 zones, only six have both the proper state and county permits to be exempt from the ban.
link:
http://www.king5.com/story/news/loc...nty-changes-pot-growing-regulations/70916748/
http://www.king5.com/story/news/loc...na-growers-lawsuit-snohomish-county/70937436/
