The Lakewood Planning Commission voted 4-2 Wednesday evening not to permit marijuana retail in Lakewood sending their rejection notice on to the Lakewood City Council.
That means the Clover Park School Board; the Planning Commission; the Federal Government; five out of six jurisdictions state wide that were given an advisory vote opportunity, and the hundreds of signatures the Lakewood Planning Commission received were all opposed to this industry.
Now the matter will be before your elected representatives, the Lakewood City Council.
And the ‘Lakehood’ drug dealers rejoiced
The people of Lakewood are for cannabis. The people of Pierce county are for cannabis. The people of Washington are for Cannabis. The people of the United States are for cannabis.
Conservative pencil-pushers can put together as many of these little advisory panels and take as many non-binding votes as they want, but they’re fighting a losing battle that has no impact. Even if Lakewood bans it temporarily, I take comfort knowing that these people won’t have their way much longer 🙂
And until then, I’ll continue to buy weed, dinner, clothes, groceries and otherwise contribute to the economy across the city line where the city council respects their constituents.
How do you know the people of Lakewood are for cannabis? The people of Pierce County?
ok, just out of curiosity I downloaded the precinct results on the mj vote. Unfortunately, it identifies the precincts with number and I had some trouble pinning down the precincts that belong to Lakewood. I did my best. I came up with 18 precincts, identified as 28545-28562. Of these 18 precincts, 17 voted solidly FOR the initiative. Total votes: 15,265. For: 8,277 (>54%). Against: 6,988 (<46%).
Again… not pure. I'm not certain I identified the precincts completely/correctly. If you can help me pin down the precinct numbers I can give a more accurate report.
It seems that Pierce County, Tacoma, Lakewood and UP, voters are for the most part FOR MJ, but the council reads on that are 'not in my backyard'. I find that interesting since Lakewood seems to be infested with gambling establishments and bikini baristas.
I have to admit, I do cringe when I see billboards advertising pot shops. It seems odd to me that that form of advertising is ok, but the Marlboro man is verboten.
Post-I-502, when given an opportunity to provide feedback by way of advisory ballot measures offered by leaders in local jurisdictions as to the desire of residents to see retail MJ shops within their neighborhoods, the people – even though having voted to decriminalize marijuana via I-502 – in five out of six of those advisory votes opposed such operations anywhere in their geographical boundaries, most by a significant margin.
These include the Cities of Snohomish (70% against); Bonney Lake (64% against); Yakima County (59% against); Federal Way (61% against); and Pierce County (52% against), the votes in most cases reflecting a rather emphatic repulsion of marijuana retail.
Pierce County Executive Pat McCarthy didn’t like the outcome of the April 2016 advisory vote and overturned it.
David… I didn’t remember seeing that advisory vote on my ballot… oh, ya, because it was offered to ‘UNINCORPORATED PIERCE COUNTY’. Nobody in Lakewood, UP, Tacoma, Puyallup, etc got to vote on it… AND it was offered in APRIL with a 30% voter turnout…. vs 79% turnout in November of 2012. BIG DIFFERENCE. That doesn’t pass the sniff test for me. Sorry!
To be perfectly clear, I disclose… I DO NOT PARTAKE. I have no interest in partaking. I voted against I-502 for my own reasons.
I am really undecided and for the most part unconcerned regarding pot establishments in our communities. I am interest in the discussion and I feel like the people voted. The decision is being made via twisted concerns and an unfair representation of data… much like this.
I also feel like the people, to be clear, minority (you) who oppose local pot establishment seem to be under the impression that legal mj and available retail establishments is going to turn us all into pot heads and turn our social order upside down. I don’t happen to believe that and I have not seen ANY data to support that.
The point I was trying to make is that the places where votes were taken, albeit advisory, for the most part (five out of six) declined to allow marijuana to set up shop locally leading to the conclusion that I-502 was about decriminalizing marijuana, not necessarily permitting it locally.
No, Lakewood didn’t vote on MJ via PC’s advisory vote and what do you believe the odds are that it will, anymore than Lakewood got to vote on the Rental Inspection Program?
Stay tuned to an article soon to be published entitled “Homelessness and marijuana, an unhappy – and deadly – mix.”
Perhaps that will help in your hopefully honest pursuit of factual marijuana impacts.
Steve,
Here is an idea that might help you enjoy more choices. When you cross the border into T-Town to buy your cannabis, do not smoke it right away. Put the cannabis in your pocket.
Then it may be clear to you that you can return to your own city to buy dinner, clothes, groceries and otherwise contribute to the economy of your own city.
I suppose if you start smoking your out of town cannabis in the parking lot, this alternative possibility may not be clear to you.
I practice what I preach. Yes, I cross the city line to shop at Costco in Tacoma and then I return to Lakewood to buy dinner, clothes, groceries and otherwise contribute to the economy of my own city.
Joseph Boyle
Steve,
When you think about it, my idea described above makes a lot of sense. You eventually have to return home to Lakewood anyway.
Another choice is to move out of Lakewood. That would show the city. Buy or rent a home within walking distance of a Cannabis Dispensary.
Light up a joint and consider what I say. Imagine how great life could be if you only have to walk for weed.
Joseph Boyle
Steve, I share your sorrow. I own a BMW so when I need to have it serviced, I have to drive ALL THE WAY TO FIFE! Surely Lakewood could have a BMW dealer, but the city council most likely disallowed a license application. Okay, so should I purchase my groceries in Fife too? I’m unfamiliar with Fife–is there a grocery store there? We’re like brothers–we live in but hate Lakewood.
I want to be able to vote on this as a Lakewood resident. I don’t believe I am alone on this. This is one very important issue that I don’t believe that the Lakewood City Council should decide.
I think they should put it to a vote on a November ballot in a presidential election year.
Conservatives always lose these votes when the vote is big enough to actually somewhat represent the population. Then they pass these advisory votes in off-years when only the NIMBYs and seniors vote and act like it proves something.
And I’m not moving out of Lakewood. We people of Lakewood votes for Cannabis. If you don’t line the way the social tide is turning, I hear there are some nice places over in Idaho and you’ll probably fit in better there.
I did some research to support your statement this morning. Let’s don’t forget that Lakewood already voted FOR I-502 and precinct results are available, as stated above… here’s some stats based on voter participation in various elections, just for fun, and with the idea that ‘off cycle’ elections simply don’t work… FOR ANYTHING… but, there again… if you put something/anything of interest on a ballot people do generally show up, in general elections anyways. NOTE: Why do people feel that voting on presidents is so much more important/worthy then voting on local issues/candidates?
Population of Pierce County(2016): 861,312. 18+ (est) 646,845 (us census 75.1% 18+).
Registered voters (2016): 490,666. 75.85% of adults are registered to vote.
Votes counted in 2016 November election 365,318, showing 74.45% turnout. A total of 348,485 actually cast a ballot for pres. I don’t think that number includes write ins… of which there were many.
year, registered voters, votes counted, turnout %
2007, 373,207, 166,375, 44.5% (no pres)
2008, 411,103, 333,824, 81.2% (pres, st1)
2009, , , 44.5%
2011, 414,360, , 49.45% (no pres, liquor sales)
2012, 442,985, 349,476, 78.89% (pres, gov, pot I-502)
2013, 439,532, , 41.42%
2015, 450,941, , 34% (nothing of interest apparently)
2016, 490,666, 365,318, 74.45% (labor, guns, st3, us senator, pres)
2017, 493,740, 141,033, 28.56% (nothing of interest APPARENTLY)
These are all November elections, aka General Elections. The turnout in non-pres years is disturbing and is not a good indication of ‘voter intent’… ya, I know, they snooze, they lose… no, they snooze, we all lose. Part of the problem here is that we have Nov, Feb, Apr, Aug, +++ elections. Maybe we need more?????? Seriously, politics and taxes are a hide and seek game in this state. Sorry! Personal grumblings going on there.
In Feb, Apr, Aug, ??? it’s really truly pathetic with, generally speaking, about 20% registered voter turnout. You simply CANNOT get a read from that. No way, no how. They all know it and they use it against us. TRUTH!
Hope you enjoyed the numbers. It may or may not be informative or inspirational to you.
I vote a resounding No to pot and if the Lakewood City Council wants people that say No also, to come to their chambers, I’d gladly get about 100 or more Lakewood people to be outside their place of business to let them see that we don’t want the stuff sold in OUR city. Also, we will remember who voted yes and who voted no so we can vote those people out who wanted the (expletive) sold here.
That’s a very good idea to put this up for a vote in the next election.
You’re in the minority
Jerry thinks he can get 100 people to stand outside of a business and make total asses out of themselves. I’d very nearly put up money to see if he could come through on that challenge. Seriously. You can’t get a decent percentage of registered voters to put a little mark on a piece of paper, how the hell will you get them to stand outside of a business to strike/protest their support of voter outcomes regarding I502???? It ain’t happenin!
People, please… it cost a lot of money to willy nilly vote on whatnots… the people of Lakewood voted and were pretty clear, and actually the turnout was extraordinary, given it was presented in an pres election cycle. UNLESS the majority of those voters really truly thought that any pot establishment would be available ‘somewhere else’ it’s clear that they don’t/didn’t have a problem with that.
Sigh! Silliness.