Washington Growers May Sue County Over Cultivation Ban

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Cannabis growers are threatening to sue a Washington State county after its council voted to ban cultivation in certain areas even after some businesses spent thousands of dollars preparing production sites.

Snohomish County council members banned marijuana in certain rural where only one house per five acres are allowed, according to King5 News.

Thirty-six cannabis cultivation companies, some of which have already been approved by the state and built production facilities, said they may wage a court battle to reverse the ban.

The rule became permanent after a temporary moratorium was enacted in October.

Just north of 100 cultivators were expected to move into disputed area, and 35 of those have been issued licenses from the Washington State Liquor Control Board. Of those, only six have permits from both the state and the county, which exempt them from the ban, according to King5.

The MJ cultivators likely have little chance of winning if history is any indication. No less than five judges in Washington have ruled that nothing in the state’s law legalizing recreational marijuana overrides a local government’s ability to ban cannabis operations.