There has been a showdown developing in Washington State between state regulators, law enforcement, and medical marijuana dispensary operators. There has been talk for awhile now about medical marijuana dispensaries getting shut down across Washington State, but things have been moving much more quickly lately. Recently 15 medical marijuana dispensaries near Seattle were sent cease and desist letters, ordering the establishments to close, or get a license, or deal with the consequences. Per Marijuana Business Daily:
Local officials in an unincorporated part of King County, just east of Seattle, are targeting 15 medical marijuana dispensaries that are deemed illegal because they don’t have state permits.
The businesses were sent letters last week ordering them to close down or face possible penalties, which could include civil forfeiture, product seizure or even criminal charges, according to the Enumclaw Courier-Herald.
King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg argued that the unlicensed businesses are “undermining Washington State’s new law” that rolls medical cannabis dispensaries into the same regulatory framework as rec shops.
It’s my understanding that some of these dispensaries have been in operation for quite awhile, and have never had any issues. A lot of desperate patients, who cannot acquire medicine via any other means, are going to be hurt if/when these dispensaries get shutdown. There is an effort going on to raise funds for a legal challenge to the new medical marijuana rules in Washington. Upset about how things are going in Washington? Then I suggest you donate to the effort.
