Tacoma Shutting Down Many Medical Marijuana Shops

By Lela C. on September 10, 2015News Favorite Article

Here's something that many people did not expect to happen, especially in Washington State. However, the passage of Bill 5052 is causing a number of medical marijuana shops in Tacoma to shut down. The city is actually demanding that these dispensaries shutter their doors, and this is very troubling to many in the area. There are currently more than 60 shops around the city, and the Tacoma City Council has decided that most of them will need to shut down because they are unregulated.

The state recently passed a bill that will roll the medical marijuana industry into the recreational industry. While this might not seem too bad, you have to remember that the recreational industry in the state is under heavy regulations. They will have 45 days from the time they receive their letters to close shop to get a license from the state. If they don't, they will have to shut down. If they do, they will be under new, heavy restrictions.

Now, let's think about this. The recreational use and the medical use of marijuana are two entirely different fields even though they utilize the benefits of the same plant. This means that many people who are suffering and in pain will have a more difficult time to get the medical marijuana they need. It will be more difficult for the patients to get the marijuana, and they will be paying much more for it through the recreational shops.

While it's good to try to keep an objective mind about things, this really seems unfair to those patients. Will the state change their mind on this change? It is highly unlikely. Barring a miracle, it looks like residents of Tacoma that use medical marijuana will start to have to pay more for their medicine, and that just seems downright wrong.