State Apologizes To Pot Dispensary

[Truth Seeker]

Last Friday afternoon, an enforcement officer from the Washington State Liquor Control Board walked into a Kent medical cannabis dispensary and requested access to the secure areas of the building for "training purposes."

That was enough to concern the medical cannabis industry, which feverishly opposed last year's initiative to legalize cannabis for recreational use. Many pot shop owners, attorneys, and patients argued that Initiative 502 would lead to a crackdown on dispensaries, and they see this intrusion from the liquor board–which is supposed to regulate the recreational pot industry, but not the medical cannabis industry–as a confirmation of their worst suspicions.

"It was very surprising. We were definitely caught off guard," says Angie R., co-owner of Lady Buds in Kent, who asked that we not print her full last name. "We've had the local police in here before, and their approach is much different–we actually like them. When this woman walked in, her attitude was completely different, like she thought she was in charge."

Even liquor board director Rick Garza is shocked. "We have not instructed enforcement staff to do anything related to medical marijuana dispensaries, and as you probably know, we don't have authority over medical cannabis," he says. Agency officials have visited several dispensaries during the I-502 rule-making process, but officers should never stop by a medical pot shop uninvited, he emphasizes, saying the officer's decision was a personal one that is being investigated.

The timing couldn't be worse for the agency, Garza laments, given an announcement last week from the US Department of Justice saying states that legalize marijuana in some form must conform to strict standards. "Some people are paranoid that the liquor board is out to close down all the medical dispensaries, and that's just not the case," Garza stresses. "I'm a little embarrassed. It plays into the paranoia some people have."

The liquor board's chief of enforcement, Justin Nordhorn, has since contacted Lady Buds to apologize for the mishap, and Lady Buds seems pleased with the apology. "I was irate, pissed off, and everything else," says Angie. "I feel much better today."

News Hawk- Truth Seeker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: thestranger.com
Author: Ben Livingston
Contact: Contact Information | The Stranger, Seattle's Only Newspaper
Website: State Apologizes to Pot Dispensary by Ben Livingston - Seattle News - The Stranger, Seattle's Only Newspaper

 

[maxxman]

WHAT IS HAPPENING IN Texas????I feel that No one is even asking Here in Texas? I take 12 to 16 pain pills aday and I Know that Cannabis STOPS MY BREAK-THUR PAIN 110%, I FEEL THAT THE RIGHT CANNABIS ALONG WITH LESSER MED'S WOULD BE HELPFUL ,IN MY CASE.
J.M. WILSON

 

[tokerace]

The medical cannabis INDUSTRY opposes recreational use? Hypocrites. I use it medicinally AND recreationally. They are afraid that they will not be able to charge so much for it, and lose CONTROLL over the weed. Hypocrites.

 

[burnedout]

WHAT IS HAPPENING IN Texas????I feel that No one is even asking Here in Texas? I take 12 to 16 pain pills aday and I Know that Cannabis STOPS MY BREAK-THUR PAIN 110%, I FEEL THAT THE RIGHT CANNABIS ALONG WITH LESSER MED'S WOULD BE HELPFUL ,IN MY CASE.
J.M. WILSON

Sorry to say, but Texas is like my home country of Cuba where the "police" would take Cannabis growers & Homosexuals and line them up & shoot them. no more drug or homosexual problems, it all went DEEP under ground. Texas is like Cuba 2.0 . sorry but you live in a Republican nightmare and it will be a century before you see a law for it. Other than Austin , the oasis in hell , I wish you luck and learn about indoor cultivation


That's until Castro came down with Cancer , now it's grown for Medicinal purposes. it's all too ironic , because if you knew how the Cuban culture is and was, you would know , we relied on " Curanderos " people that have been in the Hollistic Natural cures for 3 or 4 generations Before we would see a regular doctor, and we actually had well educated doctors. but we always found the natural HERB solution the best. how did that 1970's commercial go ? " you cant fool mother nature " my Caribe indian ancestors ALL grew the herbs including Cannabis , Tabbaco and Salvia (sage) for Relegious and Medicianal usage. got bad headaches ? Salvia leaves in your shoes under your feet, gets absorved by the body there and no more headaches like Migraines, here in the US most Migraine pills are so dangerous, that they fix the migraines by killing you. headaches gone !

 

[majestral]

The medical cannabis INDUSTRY opposes recreational use? Hypocrites. I use it medicinally AND recreationally. They are afraid that they will not be able to charge so much for it, and lose CONTROLL over the weed. Hypocrites.

Hello tokerace, we are medical patients in Wa. We are all for legalization, but against 502 and what the LCB (liquor control board) is trying to pull. It's NOT paranoia that we think the LCB is trying to take control of medical, it's fact. They've already tried to have it attached to their budget, which would have given them control and rule writing over medical without having a public vote. This means we would NOT be able to grow our own medicine and would HAVE to get it from their retail stores. 502 means the average person can NOT grow for themselves. It all must be taxed 85% before sold. Anyone under 21 that gets caught with it means a felony charge. They're already raking in the dough on DUI's with unrealistic standards. The bill got voted in because of all the money put into the YES campaign by all the people that stood to make millions on cannabis and DUI's etc...

A lot of the dispensarys are for 502 because they can sell to anyone then.

It's not really legal here like it is in Co. Just possession is.

A lot of patients can't afford to buy it from dispensaries, and HAVE to grow their own. How would you like to have you're medicine taxed 85% and not be able to grow your own?

There's a LOT of stuff going on behind the scenes that people don't know about. The people of Wa. are even trying to gather sigs for a new bill to be voted on to make it ACTUALLY legal here.

Just sayen...........

Peace,
The Majestrals

 

[Governmentchz]

... The people of Wa. are even trying to gather sigs for a new bill to be voted on to make it ACTUALLY legal here.

Peace,
The Majestrals

Here's hoping.

 

[majestral]

Here's hoping.

Keeping fingers crossed. And praying for justice.