Pubdate: Tue, 03 Jul 2012
Source: Herald, The (Everett, WA)
Copyright: 2012 The Daily Herald Co.
Contact:  http://www.heraldnet.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/190
Author: Debra Smith

COUNCIL VOTES TO EXTEND MORATORIUM ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA GARDENS

The Everett City Council voted today to extend a moratorium on 
medical marijuana gardens until January 20.

The city needs more time to figure out how to effectively zone the 
gardens, assistant city attorney Ramsey Ramerman told the council 
before the vote. The city also hopes to have additional legal 
clarification on how to handle the conflicts between state and 
federal law, he said. He warned the council that allowing the gardens 
now could get city employees and the council in trouble with the 
federal government by making them "accomplices to federal drug crimes."

A state law allowing cities to license, zone and impose health and 
safety requirements on collective medical marijuana gardens went into 
effect last year. The state law conflicts with federal law, which 
doesn't recognize marijuana for medical use. Just before the state 
law took effect, the council agreed to allow the gardens and then 
immediately put that law on hold. The original moratorium was set to 
expire July 20.

All five of the council members at the meeting voted for the 
moratorium: Ron Gipson, Jeff Moore, Shannon Affholter, Arlan Hatloe 
and Gigi Burke. Council members Brenda Stonecipher and Paul Roberts 
weren't present.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom