Richland council considers marijuana advisory vote

The Richland City Council plans a workshop to discuss legalizing marijuana sales in Richland.

At a Tuesday night’s meeting at least three of the seven council members appeared to be in favor of putting the city’s current ban on cannabis sales to a public advisory vote in November 2019.

Rather than approving the advisory vote, the council told the staff to arrange a workshop discussion.

More than 2,700 Richland voters signed a petition calling on the city council to either lift the marijuana ban or let voters make the call on sales. Legalize Richland submitted the initiative on Nov. 6.

City Attorney Heather Kintzley said despite the valid number of signatures, the petition was invalid. It failed the legal test because it attempts to establish zoning in the city, a power the state reserves for the elected council.

Also, it violated the state’s prohibition against having two subjects on one initiative, she found.

The Legalize Richland petition called for creating zones where cannabis sales would be legal and authorizing sales.