Lynnwood council affirms policy to allow retail cannabis sales and directs staff to bring ordinance in September

The Lynnwood City Council voted April 28 to direct staff to prepare ordinance language allowing retail cannabis sales in the city and to return for council consideration on Sept. 22, 2025. Council members also voted earlier in the discussion to affirm that retail cannabis sales should be allowed in Lynnwood.

The debate followed public comment from residents who urged the council to design rules that promote equity and protect youth. At the meeting’s public-comment period, Isabelle Mata (resident) asked how Lynnwood would “ensure that small local businesses have a fair opportunity to enter the cannabis market and not just multi state operators,” and whether tax revenue could be reinvested in community health, youth education or public safety. Gaylena Baynton (resident) described her family’s experience with a relative who developed schizophrenia after regular cannabis use and asked council members to “keep our youth and young adults in the front of your mind when you make your decisions here.”

Staff presentation and timeline

Carl Almgren, the city’s community planning manager, summarized a staff memo that presented two work-plan options. Option A would prioritize the Unified Development Code (UDC) and the Alderwood/city-center work and bring an ordinance to council for consideration on Sept. 22, 2025. Option B would accelerate the schedule, seeking council consideration as early as June 23, but would require more immediate, detailed direction from council on zoning locations, buffer distances, equity measures and other policy choices. Almgren said staff recommended Option A to allow time to align the cannabis ordinance with the UDC work and to answer detailed legal and mapping questions.

Council action and votes

Councilmember Hurst moved that the Lynnwood City Council affirm that retail cannabis sales should be allowed within the city limits; the motion was amended during debate to replace the word “shall” with “should,” and the amended wording passed on roll call, 5–2 (yes: Vice President Bridal; Councilmembers Escamilla, Hurst, Lewyler, Coelho; no: Councilmembers Decker and Parshall). Later in the meeting Councilmember Escamilla moved that staff be directed to pursue work-plan Option A and bring an ordinance to council on Sept. 22, 2025; that motion passed 6–1 (yes: Bridal, Escamilla, Lutweiler, Coelho, Parshall, Decker; no: Hurst). The motions give staff explicit policy direction to draft ordinance language and continue the review and public-notice process.

Key discussion points

- Equity and social-justice licensing: Council members and members of the public raised the question of how the city would support small, local, and justice-impacted business owners in a licensing process. Staff noted the state issues licenses and that county-level social-equity licenses exist; city zoning and permitting would determine where retail uses could operate.

- Youth safety and buffer zones: Public speakers urged tight buffer zones near schools and playgrounds and questioned whether visible advertising (billboards, signs) around Highway 99 and other corridors contributes to youth exposure.

- Timing and staff capacity: Several council members said they wanted staff to focus on the UDC and city-center work and not be overburdened. Others urged a faster timeline given years of community interest.

What happens next

Staff will prepare ordinance language and analysis consistent with Option A, incorporating the policy direction the council provided, and will return to the council and planning commission for public hearings as required by the municipal code. Staff said the process will include two public hearings and additional work sessions and will attempt to align final language with the UDC amendments when practical.

Quotes

"How will Lynnwood ensure that small local businesses have a fair opportunity to enter the cannabis market and not just multi state operators?" — Isabelle Mata, resident

"Please keep our youth and young adults in the front of your mind when you make your decisions here." — Gaylena Baynton, resident

Ending

Council members and staff said they will continue community outreach and return draft ordinance language for review before the public hearings required under city procedure. Council members were explicit that the Sept. 22, 2025 target reflects staff capacity and the desire to align code changes with the larger UDC update rather than an immediate change in ground-floor zoning.