Yakima ban on marijuana businesses to be lifted in August

A ban on marijuana businesses will be lifted next month in Yakima after the city council approved several industry regulations Tuesday.

City Supervising Planner Jeff Peters says they plan to publish the regulations on Friday and then it will go into effect 30 days after which would remove the ban August 7th.

In May, the Yakima City Council voted to repeal a ban on marijuana businesses but it was not until this week they approve the regulations of where the businesses can be located.

"They allow areas throughout the city for these places to locate, and they were also being very careful and cautious there wasn't a plethora of businesses popping up," says Peters.

Peters adds the state has already approved of five marijuana retailers in the city but so far no production and processing facilities.

One of the city council members did ask at the Tuesday meeting for the buffer zone to be extended to 1,500 square feet between pot shops and schools or playgrounds. It was voted down 4 to 3 and will remain at 1,000 square feet.

The following regulations for the pot industry in Yakima are below:

1.    The zoning districts of Light Industrial (M-1) and Heavy Industrial (M-2) zones are proposed to be allowed for producing, researching and processing as Class (1) Permitted Uses;

2.    Recreational marijuana retailers are proposed to be permitted as Class (1) Permitted Uses in the Local Business District (B-2), Large Convenience Center (LCC), Central Business District (CBD), General Commercial (GC), and Regional Development District (RD);

3.    Recreational marijuana producers, processors, researchers and retailers in all other zones would be prohibited;

4.    The state statutory (1,000 ft.) buffer zones for recreational marijuana uses and neighborhood cooperatives are proposed to be retained; and

5.    Individual public notice provisions administered by the LCB Board were added for protected uses including churches for proposed marijuana uses within 1,000 feet of a proposed facility, as allowed by the 2015 Legislation.