The Seattle Times: Medical marijuana clinics closed in Shoreline and LFP

Marijuana leaf

by Diane Hettrick
updated 03-30-2011

The Seattle Times has a story Friday about our local medical marijuana clinics. We have two - one in Shoreline, on Aurora, and one which opened quite recently in Lake Forest Park on Bothell Way.

The insurance agency for the cities, WCIA, recently opined that the clinics were not legal under existing state legislation.

Not wanting to jeopardize their insurance, Shoreline took immediate action to revoke the business license of the Shoreline clinic.

Patti Radar, Finance Manager, City of Shoreline, explains,

The Washington State Cities Insurance Authority (WCIA), the City’s insurance provider, has advised cities against issuing business licenses to medical marijuana dispensaries until there is clarification from the State on the legality of dispensaries. A bill currently before the legislature will do just that. Until then, the City wants to make sure that all businesses operating in Shoreline are operating legally.

According to The Times, Lake Forest Park denied the LFP clinic's request for a business license, then shut it down when the clinic opened without a license and without appropriate building permits.

The bill is Senate Bill 5073, introduced by Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles. It is still alive, as of Wednesday, March 23, having survived numerous challenges, but still needs to pass through another committee vote before going to the floor for a vote. The Seattle Weekly online did an article which you can read here.

If the legislation passes in a format which satisfies the WCIA, then each city will decide whether the clinics meet City regulations to be issued a business license.