Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Cannabis Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commissioners press staff for law-enforcement input, odor controls and revenue details on cannabis proposal
Summary
Multiple commissioners asked staff for law-enforcement analysis, visits to nearby production sites to study odors, clarification on electrical capacity for producers, and a clearer breakdown of which license categories generate state per-capita revenue shares; staff pointed to July 15 packet materials and said it will follow up.
Commissioners used the July 29 meeting to press planning staff for additional technical information before making any recommendation on the cannabis draft. Commissioner Lynn Larson asked specifically for a presentation by law enforcement about anticipated impacts to Lakewood and public-safety consequences if the ordinance were adopted; staff said they had requested LCB enforcement data and would reach out to neighboring agencies but could not promise an in-person presentation by Aug. 5.
Larson and other commissioners also raised concerns about odor control from production facilities. Commissioner Larson said he feared that "even the best state regulations fail" to eliminate production odors observed in nearby Nalley Valley and asked staff to visit facilities. Commissioner Merritt probed the technical side of negative-pressure systems and scrubbers, warning that if effective odor control cannot be demonstrated it creates a dilemma for siting producers. Staff told the commission producers must use fully enclosed permanent structures and best-available control technologies (carbon filtration, negative pressure) and must comply with Department of Ecology air-quality requirements.
On fiscal questions, staff pointed commissioners to a July 15 packet revenue estimate and reiterated a ballpark local revenue figure tied to retail sales: "I believe the number was a 150 to $200,000 annually, ballpark estimation," Silva said. Staff said the per-capita state allocation is calculated by the LCB and depends on which license categories the city allows; they committed to verifying the exact criteria and to follow up with commissioners.
