Submitted by Thurston County
The Thurston County Board of County Commissioners will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, January 7 to take public testimony on interim zoning regulations for state-licensed marijuana producers, processors, and retailers authorized by state law. The interim zoning regulations control where the legal marijuana can be grown, processed, and sold in unincorporated Thurston County.
The public is invited to participate in informed discussion, and testimony will be accepted at the January 7 hearing.
Background:
Washington State licenses marijuana producers, processors, and retailers under Chapter 69.50 RCW. The state began to take applications for licenses on November 18. Because Thurston County did not have regulations governing such uses in its zoning regulations, the county passed Ordinance No. 14944 enacting interim regulations on November 12, with the intent of completing final regulations within one year. State law requires a public hearing to be held within 60 days of passing an interim regulation. The interim regulations will expire on November 12, 2014 unless repealed or renewed.
The interim regulations amend the Thurston County Code to add Chapter 20.63 for the rural county, Chapter 21.103 for the unincorporated Lacey Urban Growth Area, Chapter 22.65 for the Tumwater Urban Growth Area, and Chapter 23.91 for the unincorporated Olympia Urban Growth Area. In summary, production is permitted in most zones that permit agricultural uses, processing is permitted in most zones that permit industrial or related uses, and retailing is permitted in most commercial zones, with some limits and exceptions.
For more details on the interim regulations, you can view the full text of Ordinance No. 14944 at www.thurstonplanning.org under the “News and Links” section. More information about the state’s implementation of Initiative 502 is available at http://www.liq.wa.gov/marijuana/I-502.
