Marijuana moratorium extension requested in Grant Co.
Marijuana and the industry behind it, just like alcohol, can be a bit dicey and need to be balanced with a variety of factors. Grant County's commissioners are reviewing regulations in unincorporated parts of the county on how to best regulate the cannabis industry. The former site of the Cannabis shop at 1615 Basin St. SW in Ephrata is pictured. Locations of marijuana facilities within city limits would not be impacted by rules changes at t4he county level.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/BRANDEE MILLER
EPHRATA — Grant County development officials are recommending a six-month extension of the moratorium on new marijuana production facilities in the county. If Grant County Commissioners agree, the moratorium will be in effect through the end of 2024.
Development Services Deputy Director Jim Anderson-Cook said the extension is needed to meet the requirements for amendments. The moratorium expires July 23.
The marijuana moratorium, and some proposals for regulation from development services, were discussed with commissioners during the regular meeting Tuesday. Development Services Director Chris Young said planners had two ideas for commissioners to consider.
Any regulations would apply only in the unincorporated areas of Grant County. In answer to a question from Commissioner Danny Stone, Anderson-Cook said regulations within city limits are up to the cities.
Anderson-Cook said one possibility would be to restrict where new marijuana production facilities to light industrial or heavy industrial zones. Another would be to place a limit on the number of marijuana producers or processors allowed in the county, Young said.
Stone had suggested setting a limit on the number of processors allowed, and allocating them by geography. Anderson-Cook said development officials studied that, but that it would be difficult to allocate them equitably.
Commissioner Rob Jones said there are marijuana producers near residential areas, which was not ideal as far as he was concerned. He said he would support restricting them to light industrial and heavy industrial areas.
“My recommendation is that’s where we land,” Anderson-Cook said.
Young said the problem was that marijuana production operations could take up substantial pieces of land in industrial zones that could be put to more economically advantageous use.
Development officials are working with developers on some pretty big projects that will be high-value properties when they’re finished, he said. Due to the regulations, the permit process for a marijuana producer takes a lot of time and provides less benefit to the county, Young said, in terms of permit fees.
Stone said he was concerned about the interest in Grant County as a place to build marijuana production operations.
“We’re a magnet for all this. When do we say, ‘Stop this?’” he said.
Anderson-Cook said the regulations would be a work in progress, and county officials would have the option to put a cap on the number of permits issued if they chose.
Stone said he’s seen at least one producer that seemed to be a lot bigger than what it was licensed for. A limit on the number of permitted operations should be a consideration, he said.
Some of the smaller production facilities are ceasing independent operation and becoming part of cooperative operations, Anderson-Cook said. He suggested that the regulations allow operations to join a cooperative, and to relocate, but not allow them to expand.
Jones said that if marijuana consumption increases, people will be attracted to the idea of growing it. If requests to site growing operations in the county increase, commissioners can decide if they want to place a limit, he said.
Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at cschweizer@columbiabasinherald.com.