Franklin County sheriff, school officials beg Pasco council to keep ban on cannabis stores

After hearing from hundreds of people over the last few months, Pasco officials say they’re moving forward with a controversial decision to lift a ban on cannabis retail sales in the city.

But other leaders in the community are making a last-ditch effort to change their minds.

Five public officials from Franklin County and the Pasco School Board spoke out publicly at this week’s council meeting about their concerns that allowing a pot shop downtown could reverse years of public safety and revitalization efforts.

The chorus of naysayers was led by Sheriff Jim Raymond, a Pasco resident of more than 44 years, who said he’s seen “men’s blood run down the curb lines of downtown Pasco” and “men killed over a kilo of cocaine.”

“I would suggest you strongly consider what you’re about to do and keep your moratoriums in place for marijuana — trafficking is what it is. Legalized marijuana trafficking out of my community and your community. Let it go to some other community,” Raymond said during the public comment period.

Raymond said the council needed to take its “community back” by addressing crime and homicides rates instead. He said allowing a pot shop downtown would further “destroy” the community.

The two-term sheriff was joined by Franklin County Assessor John Rosenau and Coroner Curtis McGary. Pasco School Board members Steve Simmons and Steve Christensen also chimed in against the move.

Rosenau, a former police officer, also introduced a letter drafted by a dozen community leaders opposed to allowing cannabis retail shops in the city.

“As an assessor, I can tell you it’s going to impact your values,” he said. “It may raise the values of downtown if lots of businesses sell higher. That’s going to raise the taxes on those businesses. If it diminishes the values downtown, it’s because they hurt the businesses — but it is going to have an impact, one way or another.”

McGary, the county coroner, said pot was a “stepping stone” to harder drugs and that he didn’t want to see more overdoses.

“If you do OK it, be very considerate of where you place it at,” McGary said.

While researchers disagree on whether or not marijuana is a gateway drug, a majority of users do not go on to use “harder drugs,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.

People who use pot and then use other drugs may have a higher risk of dependence or addiction, especially if they started using marijuana at an early age, says the public health agency. Other factors — such as economic status, age or family history — can also affect the likelihood of a substance use disorder.

The legal age to buy retail cannabis in Washington is 21.

Strong emotions

The issue of lifting the retail sales ban has elicited strong emotions on both sides of the debate.

City council members agreed at a recent study session they would like to move forward with voting on lifting its ban. But no formal actions has been taken.

Pasco would be the first city government in the Tri-Cities to allow retail pot shops.

Benton County and the cities of Prosser and Benton City are the only other local governments that have permitted pot shops in limited areas since voters legalized it.

It’s likely Pasco would zone retail cannabis for either one of two locations: Either in the downtown area, or in a heavy industrial or commercial zones.

David Morgan, a Pasco native and co-owner of Lucky Leaf Co. dispensary in Spokane, proposed bringing a shop downtown earlier this year. He said it would help revitalize the downtown core and the foot traffic would reduce crime.

But the issue remains remarkably controversial for the growing city of nearly 80,000.

A 2021 community survey of about 350 residents showed 45% would strongly or somewhat support changes allowing marijuana retail sales in city limits.

But 46% said they would not, and about 10% said they “didn’t know.”