LYNNWOOD—The Lynnwood City Council at its Business Meeting on Monday, April 28, approved its intent to allow retail cannabis sales within city limits.

The motion, make by Councilman George Hurst and seconded by Council Vice President Josh Binda, to affirmed that retail cannabis sales should be allowed within the City Limits of Lynnwood, was approved with a vote of 5-2—Councilmen Patrick Decker and David Parshall dissented.

The original motion stated the word “shall” instead of “should” but it was amended based on city staff recommendation.

A second motion to direct city staff to perform Work Plan Option A for the city council to officially vote on an ordinance on September 22, 2025, to legally allow retail cannabis that was introduced by Councilman Binda, passed 6-1 with Councilman Hurst dissenting. Hurst stated that he preferred a date of June 23, 2025, for the ordinance vote instead of September 22, 2025.

Below are key dates leading up to the September 22 ordinance vote legalizing the sale of retail cannabis within the city limits of Lynnwood:

• May 5: City Council Work Session to develop list of additional items and considerations for review. This would include an additional map review of required buffers.
• June 16: City Council Work Session to review list and revised maps.
• July 14: City Council Business Meeting to conduct item-by-item voting to develop a refined ordinance and refer to Planning Commission.
• July 24: Planning Commission Work Session
• July 25: Planning Commission Public Hearing Notice
• August 14: Planning Commission Public Hearing
• September 2: City Council Work Session
• September 8: City Council Public Hearing
• September 22: City Council Consideration

Public Hearings to hear from Lynnwood residents on the matter are scheduled for July 25, August 14, and September 8. Lynnwood residents can also share their opinions on that matter during public comment at any upcoming city council Special and Business meetings.

As of today, there are no recreational cannabis stores within Lynnwood city limits, despite four licenses (or title-certificates) allocated to the city by the state. All four of these licenses, which are issued by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board, are accounted for by individuals who must wait for the city’s approval before they are reinstated as retail licenses. Additional licenses could be awarded to the city in the future if it raises the allowable retailers.

There are, however, retail cannabis stores nearby Lynnwood whose official border jurisdictions fall within unincorporated Snohomish County.

Washington State voters approved I-502 in 2012, which legalized the production, processing, and retail sales of cannabis. In response, the City of Lynnwood enacted a series of moratoriums prohibiting the sale of retail cannabis within city limits beginning in June 2013, through February 2015.

A City ordinance, 3136, adopted June of 2015, revoked these moratoriums and implemented a final prohibition of retail sales, production and processing, and medical marijuana collective gardens.

At an April 21 meeting, Karl Almgren, AICP, Planning Manager, and Rebecca Samy, Principal Planner, presented a brief overview of the Planning Commissions recommendations to the City following an extensive analysis.

The Planning Commission’s’ recommendations to council were to pass an ordinance that would allow retail cannabis in the following zones: Highway 99 Mixed Use (HMU), General Commercial, and Alderwood subject to the following conditions:

• Provide a minimum 1,000-foot buffer on Highway 99 Mixed Use and General Commercial zones for restricted entities which are allowed to reduce buffer.
• Provide a minimum 300-foot buffer in Alderwood zone for restricted entities which are allowed to reduce buffer
• And require landscaping, parking, and other standards required for retail use in the underlying zones.

The Commission also recommended that Council reevaluate the City Center zone for retail cannabis after the construction of Town Square Park.

One of the City Council members pushing for recreational stores in Lynnwood is City Council President George Hurst, who was originally on the planning commission when the City’s moratorium was enacted in 2015.

Hurst previously made a motion, at a council meeting on September 23, 2024, directing the Lynnwood Planning Commission to carry out a thorough review of the current zoning limitations and restriction pertaining to retail cannabis. Also, in that motion the Planning Commission was directed to develop a comprehensive set of recommendations that would amend the City’s zoning code and regulations to allow for retail cannabis stores in certain zones.

State law, both RCW’s 69.50 and 314-55 WAC, regulates where retail cannabis stores can be located, how they are advertised, enforced, and licensed. For example, state law prohibits retail cannabis stores within 1,000 feet of elementary or secondary schools, childcare centers, public parks, recreation centers, and game arcades not limited to 21+ crowds.

The Council previously discussed these regulations during its February 23 meeting in preparation for Monday’s vote.

The Liquor and Cannabis Board presented findings to the Lynnwood Planning Commission last September, reporting that neighboring jurisdictions with the same number of allotted licenses – Edmonds, Mountlake Terrace – experienced tax revenues in the $100’s of thousands since allowing retail cannabis within their cities.

The Lynnwood Times is confirming with local jurisdictions if this is the reported total tax revenue or their allotment based on state law. According to state law, cannabis is taxed 37 percent, but a local jurisdiction, such as a city, receives only a fraction of the total tax revenue, whereas the state appropriates a vast majority of the cannabis tax revenue.

A 2021-223 Crosscut study showed that only 3 percent of cannabis tax revenue goes to local governments.

Other City Business:

• [PASSES UNANIMOUSLY] Appointment: History & Heritage Board applicant Jody Nummer
• [PASSES UNANIMOUSLY] Increase permit fees citywide
• [PASSES UNANIMOUSLY] Adoption of the Commute Trip Reduction Plan
• [PASSES UNANIMOUSLY] Authorize Mayor Frizzell to execute an interlocal agreement with Community Transit to administer Commute Trip Reduction
• [PASSES UNANIMOUSLY] Approve Sno911 Interlocal Agreement amendment