Washington City Adamantly Fighting Proposed Marijuana Dispensary

The city of West Richland wants the Washington State Liquor & Cannabis Board to revoke the license of The Garden, LLC, a proposed recreational marijuana shop. The location is 151-feet from a preschool. The city says time to evaluate the business’s plan for the redeveloped residential property wasn’t provided.

The Garden, doing business as Nirvana Cannabis Co., is redeveloping a residential home in unincorporated Benton County, according to Tri-City Herald. Permission from Prosser to transfer the license was granted. Marijuana businesses are banned in both Richland and West Richland.

Washington State laws state that marijuana businesses cannot be within 1,000-ft of schools or childcare facilities. The city says that notice of the license’s transfer was not given. Aaron Lambert, community development director for West Richland, says they were only made aware of the business when it asked permission to add a new driveway to connect the establishment’s parking lot.

Lambert said, “The intended use is out of scale with the neighboring uses given the anticipated traffic but most importantly, located too close to a preschool.”