Waitsburg: Moratorium in Place ~ Ban Anticipated

WAITSBURG - Last December the Waitsburg City Council placed a temporary moratorium on the produc­tion and sale of marijuana within city limits. The mora­torium was established in order to allow the Washington State Liquor Control Board (WSLCB) time to respond to the passage of I-502 and develop policy for the legal­ized growth and sale of recreational marijuana.

"People who want to set up shops are going to look for spots with no rules in place," said City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe. "That's why it was important for us to get something in place right away." With the passage of the final WSLCB policy earlier this month, the city must now determine its response to those rules.

"My intent is to have it banned, outright," said Hinchliffe. "The Council will need to approve that, but we just don't have sufficient zoning to allow it." Hinchliffe commented that in addition to there being "no good place" for storefronts, sellers would poten­tially be opening themselves to negative stereotyping.

Policy discussion is slated for October or possibly November.