Woodinville Council to Decide City’s Stance on Medical Marijuana “Collective Garden”

The will determine the city’s policy on growing medical marijuana in “collective gardens” at the Aug. 9 meeting at 7 p.m. in .

The council is reviewing the city code in response to amendments passed in this year’s legislative session to Washington’s existing medical marijuana law. The amendments, as contained in Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill (E2SSB) 5073, went into effect July 22, 2011. According to the amendments, a medical marijuana “collective garden” is an area or garden where qualifying patients engage in the production, processing, transporting, and delivery of marijuana for medical use as defined in a 1998 state law (RCW 69.50).  

The city’s current regulations do not recognize medical  marijuana  "collective gardens"  as  a permitted use  (or  any  "collective  gardens"  for  that  matter).  However,  historically  the city has  recognized gardens  as  traditional  accessory  uses  in  residential  zones  when  they  are  conducted  for  the benefit of  the property owner in  a non-commercial manner. 

City staff believes existing regulations do not permit "collective gardens" of any type, including “medical marijuana collective gardens."

In a staff report which will be presented to the council at the meeting, alternatives to deal with the state law includes:

Continue  to  enforce  the  current  regulations  which  do  not  permit  "collective  gardens," including medical marijuana collective gardens

Pass a moratorium on medical marijuana collective gardens in order to study the issue

Do nothing; allow collective gardens in the City without regulation or enforcement.

Other agenda items can be read on the city’s website by clicking here.