Lewis County is moving forward with a policy to allow a small number of cannabis retailers to operate within unincorporated Lewis County.
The county would prohibit cannabis production and processing entirely.
The Lewis County Board of Commissioners is likely to vote in favor of holding a public hearing for a new ordinance to change county regulations on cannabis during a Tuesday morning business meeting this week.
The hearing for the ordinance is expected to be held during the board's meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 18, at 10 a.m.
Lewis County Ordinance 1379 appeared on a version of the board’s weekly business meeting agenda released late Friday afternoon. The notice item simply asks for the commissioners to approve a date and time for a public hearing for the policy. Notice items are generally approved by the commissioners without opposition since they do not address actual policy.
The agenda item is the first sign of life for a proposal to approve cannabis retailers and, as a result, benefit from state cannabis tax revenues since the county commissioned a survey on the issue back in March.
Lewis County staff first proposed the idea of permitting cannabis in unincorporated Lewis County in March. The plan, according to previous reporting by The Chronicle, was intended to find new revenue sources for the county and prevent continued staffing and budget cuts.
That being said, the new policy would only allow the county to access part of state cannabis revenue.
Washington state collects an excise tax of 37% on all cannabis products in the state and distributes much of that tax revenue to local governments through two different avenues. Cities and counties can receive a share of the revenue through a per capita share, a retail share or both.
Jurisdictions that allow production, processing and retail operations for cannabis are eligible to receive cannabis tax revenue proportionate to their population. Jurisdictions that allow cannabis retail and actually host a retail location are eligible for retail share revenue proportionate to the sales in the county. Jurisdictions that allow all of these operations are eligible for revenue through both avenues.
The proposal for the new Lewis County code comes from the Lewis County Planning Commission, which was tasked with the job by the Lewis County Board of Commissioners. The final proposal departs a bit from an initial proposal from Lewis County Community Development Director Mindy Brooks, who originally pitched a plan that would allow cannabis production and processing in limited industrial areas.
Lewis County is currently one of six counties in Washington state that actively prohibits cannabis shops through zoning laws; however, production and processing has been allowed under some industrial zoning rules.
The new proposal would remove any route to allow cannabis production and processing and allow cannabis retail in limited commercial retail zones, with requirements separating the establishments from each other and sensitive areas such as schools or places of worship.
Four cities in the county — Centralia, Chehalis, Winlock and Toledo — already permit cannabis-related establishments.
Lewis County residents will be able to ask questions or offer testimony or comment on the proposed policy during the public hearing scheduled for Aug. 18.
For previous reporting by The Chronicle on the proposed cannabis policy, visit https://tinyurl.com/4be34fhz.
