The question of whether to allow cannabis retail sales in Woodland resurfaced Monday, Jan. 5, during a City Council workshop, drawing emotional testimony from residents and renewed debate among councilors.
The discussion centered on a draft ordinance forwarded by the Woodland Planning Commission that would amend the city code to allow retail marijuana sales in the C-2 commercial zone. The commission recommended approval in October by a 3-1 vote, but no formal action was taken on Monday. Instead, the council heard public comment during a workshop on the recommendation and will vote on a first reading on Tuesday, Jan. 20.
The council’s workshop lasted nearly an hour. During the public comment period, Eric Hansen, a Woodland resident and cancer survivor, told the council that medical marijuana played a critical role in his survival and quality of life, urging officials to look beyond stigma.
“Marijuana is really a lot more than ‘puff puff pass’ and bong hits and Led Zeppelin Records,” he said. “I traded that in for an extra six years with my granddaughter … I am also a retired combat veteran, and I utilize it for PTSD,” Hansen said.
Hansen described using cannabis alongside chemotherapy after being diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer, later adding that marijuana also helps him manage PTSD and chronic pain as a retired combat veteran.
“I've made a case to where I've shown the medical benefits of marijuana and why it should be available to the people in our community without having to drive 30 miles in either direction,” he added. “We're going to get it (or) somebody else is going to get the revenue off of it. So I've made that case. I think we need to make a case for the health benefits of alcohol and cigarettes. And if we can't make that case, then I think we ought to take them out of city limits as well.”
Councilor John “JJ” Burke responded that medical marijuana was not the focus of the zoning debate, but recreational sales were. Hansen pushed back, saying regulation and education should apply evenly across substances.
“So, you know, I think it’s public education, which has to be with any substance, driving a car, alcohol, cigarettes,” Hansen said. “So, a little less reefer madness and a little more education.”
Resident Max Bondar, a father and civil engineer, said he was not opposed to marijuana retail but asked the city to adopt clearer guardrails to protect family-oriented spaces, particularly near Horseshoe Lake Park and other public facilities.
“The decisions that are made today, they’re going to influence not just the people in this room,” Bondar said. “They’re going to affect my future generation. They’re gonna affect the lives of my kids in the future.”
Bondar urged the council to incorporate setback requirements, separation distances and operational standards directly into the city code rather than relying solely on state law. City staff later clarified that Washington law already prohibits cannabis retailers within 1,000 feet of parks, schools and similar facilities, regardless of zoning.
Councilor Gabe Huston questioned why cannabis faced heightened scrutiny compared to alcohol and vaping businesses.
“If you're concerned about these things, I didn't hear once … you should do the same thing to alcohol and bars when they did more damage than any pot store would do, if you look at the statistics. It's far more dangerous, vape shops, all those things. So you want to put restrictions on retail marijuana, but you don't want to put any restrictions on alcohol, vaping, or any of the other things,” Huston said.
“I never said I don't want restrictions on bars, and I honestly believe there are restrictions on bars. That's not the conversation tonight,” Bondar replied.
As the discussion shifted from zoning language to public safety concerns, City Councilor Douglas Freimarck asked Woodland Police Chief Robbert Gibbs whether cannabis retail had caused issues for local law enforcement. The exchange referenced 20 After 4, a retail cannabis store that operated in Woodland despite city zoning prohibiting marijuana sales at the time. The store was fined repeatedly for months but continued operating until its closure in late 2023.
“I know we’re talking about the zoning … but I can say for (the owner’s) behalf when he did open here, he was very open and transparent,” Gibbs said. “Three years of him operating here and getting fined by the city, in my opinion, which was wrong, we never had any police issues.”
Gibbs said the only police call involving the business involved an ATM stolen from the store. Afterward, the owner hired private security, which Gibbs said also reduced unrelated complaints in the surrounding area.
“So from a perspective of facts, I can tell you that as of 2023, there’s an average of 4,299 deaths in the state of Washington alone that involve alcohol … In 10 years, I’ve dealt with one that was high on marijuana,” Gibbs said, adding the person was compliant in the case he witnessed. “So if you’re asking me to compare those things, you might not like to hear it, but I think marijuana is the least of our problems.”
Near the end of the workshop, Councilor Jennifer DeLuz asked Mayor Todd Dinehart to clarify the council’s next steps. Dinehart said staff would prepare an item for the next council meeting to bring the C-2 rezoning question forward for a vote, which will take place Tuesday, Jan 20. That vote will be the proposed ordinance’s first reading.
