Seattle’s Proposed License for Dispensaries Sparks Debate

By Cassandra Dowell Marijuana Investor News

News of proposed legislation to bring Seattle’s unregulated medical marijuana industry into the fold of the recreational marijuana market has divided some of the city’s marijuana advocates, with some saying the legislation will only hurt patients.

The office of Seattle Mayor Ed Murray issued a statement May 26, 2015, describing proposed legislation to grant a new regulatory license to existing Initiative 502 businesses. Medical marijuana dispensaries will also be required to get the city’s Title 6 marijuana regulatory license, but merging Seattle’s marijuana markets may mean half of the city’s dispensaries are shut down. The proposed legislation comes on the heels of the state’s passage of SB 5052, which essentially rolled the state’s medical marijuana program into adult use cannabis.