Marijuana retail ban one of three options Prosser City Council to consider

Prosser City Council members will consider banning additional marijuana businesses at next week’s council meeting.

A total ban is one of three options city staff has been directed to prepare for the council’s March 14 meeting, City Administrator Dave Stockdale said.

The other options are restricting it from additional areas, such as the commercial thoroughfare sub-area along Wine Country Road, or updating the current regulations to reflect recent changes in the state’s marijuana laws.

The city imposed a six-month moratorium on new marijuana retailers in September after learning that a third marijuana shop was looking to come to the area. There is currently one retailer within city limits and another in unincorporated Benton County that has a Prosser address.

Prosser was also getting ready to review its ordinance at the time, in light of changes to state law that reclassified medical marijuana dispensaries as recreational retailers, Stockdale said.

Planning Commission members have recommended updating the ordinance to reflect the current state laws, Stockdale said. A ban would not force the existing business — Altitude — out, as it would be allowed to operate as a nonconforming land use, Stockdale said.

Taunya Harris, Altitude’s general manager, said she understands Prosser’s concerns with having two marijuana shops in the area.

“I understand they don’t want a plethora of shops here,” Harris said. “This is not a large area, like Yakima.”

Prosser’s population is 5,819, according to recent U.S. Census data.

Harris said she would support whatever action the council takes as long as it’s done responsibly.

Voters approved a statewide initiative in 2012 to legalize the growing, processing and selling of marijuana for recreational use, but cities and counties are allowed to regulate or prohibit the businesses through land-use laws or business-license regulations

This story was originally published March 9, 2017 at 7:00 PM with the headline "Marijuana retail ban one of three options Prosser City Council to consider."