MARYSVILLE — Operators of a medical marijuana dispensary agreed Wednesday to temporarily close their doors.
Those who run Elevated Medical Treatment on Smokey Point Boulevard acknowledged to city officials they’ve been doing business without a license, city chief administrative officer Gloria Hirashima said.
They agreed to shut down, discuss their business with city officials and hopefully obtain permission to operate, she said.
Medical marijuana dispensaries are illegal in this state. Patients who have been prescribed cannabis must grow their own or designate someone to grow it for them.
City officials met with the directors of Elevated Medical Treatment on Wednesday morning.
“They acknowledged that they’re distributing marijuana to patients. In our view, that’s a dispensary,” Hirashima said.
“They actually were very open about what they were trying to do. They felt they could legally operate.”
Anna Laucks, director of Elevated Medical Treatment, answered the phone Wednesday. She made only a short statement.
“We’re doing everything we can to be in compliance with the city,” she said.
Michael Reid, a Seattle attorney representing the group, could not be reached for comment Wednesday. He said earlier in the week the operation is “de facto” legal.
“If everybody treats it as legal, it is indeed legal,” he said.
No one answered the door at the shop Wednesday afternoon. A sign posted on the door read, “Temp closed to handle city business and media matters.” It listed a phone number to call for updates.
“We VALUE your support, thank you,” the sign read in conclusion.
Elevated Medical Treatment is registered with the state as a non-profit organization. Several different types of cannabis are listed on the group’s website as available, with descriptions accompanied by photos, asking for donations of $10 a gram or $260 per ounce. Other marijuana products are also available.
The group applied for a business license with Marysville in late March.
On its application, it listed its intended service as “holistic, herbal, alternative, organic remedies.” The application did not mention marijuana.
“We talked to them about that,” Hirashima said.
The operation came into the public eye after two suitcases filled with $50,000 worth of cannabis were stolen at gunpoint from a couple in Skagit County on April 20. The victims told police the cannabis was intended for distribution at the Smokey Point location.
Hirashima said attorneys for the city and Elevated Medical Treatment would have a discussion.
“We just want make sure we understand exactly what their operation is,” she said.
Still, “we don’t believe they can” operate within the city, she said.
Herald writer Debra Smith contributed to this report.
Bill Sheets: 425-339-3439; sheets@heraldnet.com.
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