TACOMA — Pierce County Executive Pat McCarthy has vetoed the county council’s ban on licensed marijuana businesses.
The News Tribune reported that the council wanted to prohibit the businesses from operating until the federal government removes pot from its list of controlled substances.
In a letter to the council Monday, McCarthy said the ban conflicts with state law. She said the county must comply with state law, which permits the licensing of marijuana businesses, and said the council should focus on zoning where those businesses can go.
A number of cities and counties around the state have adopted moratoriums seeking to prevent or delay the operation of marijuana businesses. Washington’s Liquor Control Board, which is implementing the legal pot law, has asked the state attorney general for an opinion on whether such measures are legal.
