Woodlanders will not be asked to vote on whether they support cannabis retail stores in the city in an upcoming election.
Cannabis retail, which is not allowed within Woodland city limits, has been a long-debated topic for the city since its statewide legalization in 2012.
Woodlanders will not have a say, however, as the City Council rejected, 4-3, asking for public opinion through an advisory vote.
On Jan. 2, the Woodland City Council rejected an ordinance to allow the sale of cannabis, which is currently unzoned, in its light industrial district. Continuing the discussion, the advisory vote rejected during the July 1 meeting would have gathered public opinion on whether the city should allow the sale of cannabis within city limits. The advisory vote would be placed on the Nov. 5 ballot and publish the opinion of Woodland residents to guide the Woodland City Council’s future decisions on the subject.
Councilors were split on asking voters in a future advisory vote last week. Councilor Melissa Doughty said the arguments regarding cannabis have lasted years, and an advisory vote would end the debate once and for all. Doughty asserted how the public stands on the topic is unclear.
“... [Fentanyl] is being laced with marijuana, with anything. As much as I don’t want it here, I’d rather know that there’s a store that, whoever is actually using this product, it is a legal product, [that is] safe, and they aren’t gonna die because it’s laced with something coming from Mexico,” Doughty said.
Councilor Gabe Huston, alongside Doughty and Jason Friend, who was appointed just last week, supported taking the matter to voters. The three councilors advocated for an advisory vote to gauge public opinion on cannabis. Huston also shared that marijuana has benefited him medically, aiding his sleep after his ninth round of chemotherapy.
“I wish people were as much concerned about the vape shops coming into town because I think that’s way more dangerous to our kids than a pot shop would be,” Huston said. “... If you see the people that are in those places, it looks like my dad or my uncle. They’re not drug addicts.”
Councilors Douglas Freimarck, Carol Rounds and John Burke expressed strong feelings against the sale of cannabis. Both Freimarck and Rounds said they would stake their future election on rejecting an advisory vote. Councilor Terry Hall, who voted with the majority, said the discussion was a moral issue. Hall asserted that allowing the sale of cannabis would open a gateway for children to partake in dangerous drugs. Quoting the Bible, Hall said, “It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble.”
“Do we want to be the council that throws out over 100 years of Woodland’s wholesome heritage, in which we have never authorized the sale of any illicit drug?” Hall asked.
Huston said the four other council member’s moral arguments against cannabis were a double standard, as alcohol is sold in Woodland. Additionally, he said, in Washington, people entering any cannabis retail stores must be 21 years of age or older in Washington.
“You have to be 21 to go in there … You should be saying the same thing about a bar we have on every corner in town that kids go by all day, every day … I don’t understand how it becomes a moral issue. Teach your kids what’s right and wrong. Then you shouldn’t have to worry about that issue,” Huston said.
Woodland residents, who spoke during public comments, also debated the issue. Though most were against rezoning, a few asked the City Council to approve an advisory vote to end the ongoing discussion.
One Woodland resident, Derek Winn, spoke in favor of establishing a pot shop in Woodland. He cited that the business near the ilani Casino, five miles away, provides locals with cannabis already. He argued cannabis retail zoned far from schools could supply the city with additional tax dollars.
“It’s the parents that’re gonna keep [kids] away from it. They’re gonna get it here, there. They’re gonna get it [from] anywhere,” he said. “... I’m just all about the money. If it does [get approved], I’d like to see [taxes] go 100% towards the schools.”
One resident, who did not state her full name, said her focus was not on whether the city allows retail cannabis shops in a certain zone, but whether or not the City Council is willing to listen to its citizens.
“I haven’t spoken pro or con … What I’m concerned about is the message you’ll send to the city if you vote no … A no vote will send a message that this council is not interested in the opinions, feelings or concerns of Woodland’s citizens. I think that’s how it could be interpreted,” she said.
