SNOHOMISH — The City Council on Tuesday agreed with NOPE, an organization that fought for No Operational Pot Enterprises, and voted to ban recreational marijuana sales, production and processing in the city.
Dozens of people filled the council chambers to speak on the issue. Several supporters of a ban asked the council to protect the city’s “character” by keeping recreational pot out.
“We’d rather it not be in our little Mayberry,” said Melissa Stitt. “Let’s keep Snohomish Snohomish.”
Bob McGowan, a Snohomish resident who owns R. Gleason Finishing in Monroe, organized NOPE.
“I have a personal vendetta against the drug,” said McGowan. “Marijuana seems like it’s so benign that it’s not a threat, but that is a major stumbling block to the reality of the consequences of using it.”
McGowan, 59, started the NOPE movement by taking a yellow pad of paper around to his neighbors, asking them to sign a petition supporting the pot ban. Eventually, he and others collected almost 350 signatures, although most of the people who signed do not live in Snohomish.
NOPE members recruited business owners and church leaders to speak about their cause at city public hearings. At the one Tuesday, there was standing room only.
“We need to fight the battle against drugs together,” McGowan told the crowd, wearing a NOPE t-shirt.
He said his use of marijuana as a teen led him to harder drugs. After an overdose at 18, he said, he stopped using. Now, McGowan wants to prevent young people from falling into the same trap.
Many people and a few Snohomish High School students expressed concern about the effect of selling the drug in local stores might have on children. But others disagreed.
Amy Buddie said the prohibition would only prevent responsible adults from buying pot. She and her husband, Jason, were among the few parents to speak in opposition to the ban on Tuesday.
“This law doesn’t keep marijuana out of the hands of your children — you do,” she said.
Morgan Davis, who regularly attends City Council meetings, also opposed the ban, calling it a “half-baked ordinance.” Davis was later escorted out of the meeting by the police chief. He continued to clap and comment after people spoke, despite Mayor Karen Guzak repeatedly asking him to be quiet.
But Davis wasn’t thrown out before he had the chance to question the mayor about her newfound support of pot prohibition. Guzak previously has favored allowing recreational marijuana in the city.
She said she changed her mind on the issue after meeting with five people from Snohomish. She was swayed by listening to the concerns of that group and others who spoke at the public hearings.
“I simply could not find enough positives to support it,” she said.
The pot issue has drawn the largest crowds at council meetings in at least three years, Guzak said.
After almost two hours of debate, the council prohibited pot in the city with a 4-3 vote.
Councilmen Derrick Burke, Tom Hamilton and Michael Rohrscheib opposed the ban. Burke said he was worried that the city was missing an opportunity to curb the negative effects of marijuana by not allowing the legal system.
“I’m genuinely concerned that we’re making the wrong decision by not implementing this fully,” he said. “I’m not convinced we’re going to make it better by sticking our heads in the sand.”
Amy Nile: 425-339-3192; anile@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @AmyNileReports.
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