Shoreline Council Approves New Medical Marijuana Licensing Regs

Correction: See .755 No. 6: Minors are permitted on the premises of a collective garden only with their parent or guardian.

The Shoreline City Council’s passage Monday night of regulations for those who want to be licensed to provide medical marijuana and run collective gardens cleared up the city code and left providers in the city pleased with the result.

Shoreline has been one of the most supportive suburban cities in King County of medical marijuana patients and providers, and has allowed medical marijuana to be grown and distributed within its city limits under interim regulations since last July.

The new regulations offer more guidance to qualified patients, patients and providers who are involved in the medical marijuana trade.

The owners of two of the main medical marijuana operators in Shoreline, Laura Healy of Green Hope Patient Network, and Patrick Gahn of Green Cure, said they were happy with the Council’s regulations on collective gardens. Collective gardens are not run by business operators, like Green Cure or Green Hope, but qualified patients run them and then bring the marijuana to the businesses to distribute to members. 

Healy was pleased that the Council voted 4-3 to strike language that would have banned anyone with a criminal conviction including misdemeanors from working for an operator or collective garden.

Healy said she raised the issue in public comment because she had a volunteer for Green Hope who had been convicted of criminal trespass for being involved in a protest. Instead only people convicted of a state or federal felony would be banned. Councilmember Shari Winstead said business owner should be able to decide whom he or she hires.

Councilmembers Will Hall, Jesse Salomon and Chris Roberts dissented on the motion.

The Council also struck language for operators being responsible for what goes on in the premises, including parking lots. Some operators have shared parking lots and existing laws should be sufficient to cover violators.

Collective gardens in Shoreline and the Puget Sound area are usually located inside a home or building because of the weather and for security purposes.

Half of Green Cure’s supply of medical marijuana comes from Shoreline and the rest comes from outside the city, said Kurt Boehl, a Seattle attorney who represents Green Cure.

About 30 percent of Green Cure’s clients come from Shoreline, Gahn said, and the business on 145th St. has served as many as 1,000 people.

Green Hope, on Aurora Ave. North, serves about 100 people a week, about of half of them from Shoreline, Healy said.

The following licensing requirements for operators are listed below in the updated city code. The changes take effect five days after the publication of a summary of the ordinance in the official newspaper of the city, The Seattle Times. A license costs $599.50 per year and up to six licenses may be granted by the city.

A. It is unlawful to conduct, operate or maintain a collective garden unless

such premises has a current Collective Garden License obtained in the manner prescribed in this chapter. Premises includes all locations used by a collective garden to grow, store, process, transport, or distribute medical cannabis to its qualified patients. No more than one Collective Garden License may be issued for a tax parcel.

B. License applicants and all persons who receive wages, fees, donations or compensation of any kind for performing collective garden activities (“operators”) shall meet the following requirements:

1) Must be a qualified patient or designated provider of a garden patient and must submit valid documentation, or written designation by a qualified patient with that patient’s valid documentation and proof of identification deemed acceptable by the clerk.

2) Must be at least 18 years of age.

3) May have no felony conviction of State or federal laws within the ten years preceding date of application.

4)   May not be a member of any other collective garden within the State of Washington.

.755   Premises requirements. Collective Garden premises must operate in compliance with the following conditions:

1.  All premises or vehicles used or operated by the Collective Garden shall have no greater aggregate quantities of cannabis , cannabis plants or cannabis containing products than are allowed under RCW 69.51A.085.

2. No more than ten qualifying patients may participate in a single collective garden at any time. A copy of each qualifying patient’s valid documentation and proof of identity must be available at all times on the premises.

3.  No cannabis may be delivered to anyone other than a qualifying patient participating in the collective garden or that patient's designated provider.

4. No cannabis, cannabis plants or representations of cannabis plants shall be used in signage, advertising or visible to public view or in areas of the premises open to the public.

5. Areas where cannabis is grown, stored or dispensed must be provided with ventilation systems so that no odors are detectable off the premises.

6.  No minors shall be permitted on any collective garden premises unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.

7. Consumption of cannabis, products containing cannabis or alcohol on the premises is prohibited.

8. The premises shall be closed to any distribution of cannabis between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.