Today, the Washington State Attorney General released an opinion holding that local jurisdictions can ban recreational marijuana businesses. Additionally, the Attorney General has determined that in lieu of ban, local jurisdictions may stringently restrict these businesses.
The Attorney General’s opinion can be found here.
Many cities and counties in Washington have already enacted bans, moratoria, zoning restrictions and other land use regulations affecting the ability of recreational marijuana businesses to locate within these localities. Thus, it is important to review the zoning rules of your local jurisdiction to determine if and where recreational marijuana businesses may operate.
For more information on the siting of these businesses, please contact Heather Wolf.