PORT ANGELES — Marijuana retailers are now prohibited in Joyce after action taken by the Clallam County commissioners Tuesday.
In a 2-to-1 vote, with Commissioner Mark Ozias opposed, commissioners approved an ordinance preventing the sale of marijuana in the Joyce Urban Growth Area.
“I find myself in agreement with the minority of the planning commission,” Ozias said. “I understand the deep concerns you have.”
He called the ordinance a slippery slope that he believes has the potential to impact property rights, property value and people’s ability to conduct legal business.
The ordinance removes the Joyce UGA from the list of zones where marijuana can be sold.
It also updates text to conform with state law.
Commissioner Randy Johnson said he appreciated everyone who spoke during the public hearing Tuesday and that there were “valid concerns.”
He said he appreciates Joyce as a unique community and “for that reason, I very much lean toward approval.”
Last month, the Clallam County Planning Commission backed the proposal to prohibit the sale of legalized cannabis in the Joyce UGA.
Commissioners heard from people who spoke both for and against the ban.
No retail marijuana stores have been proposed in Joyce.
The Joyce UGA is a narrow strip of land that follows state Highway 112 from roughly Miller Road on the east to Shire Lane on the west, a distance of 1.7 miles.
Terry Barnett of the Crescent Community Advisory Council told commissioners the group initiated the request of an informal survey at the 2015 Joyce Daze that found the community’s top concern was drug use.
He urged commissioners to approve the ban because Joyce is such a small community and because the school is centrally located.
State law prohibits marijuana businesses from operating within 1,000 feet of a school.
Barnett said there has been some concern about medical marijuana but compared it to other medications. Joyce residents who need other medications must travel out of town to get their prescriptions, he said.
It would be the same for people who use medical marijuana, he said.
“Those people that need medical prescriptions are able to get that without having a pharmacy in Joyce,” Barnett said.
Gary Gleason, one of three planning commission members who voted against the measure in August, told county commissioners that banning the sale of marijuana would limit access to medical marijuana.
“I’m concerned for seniors and veterans who will also use medical marijuana,” he said.
He said that prohibition has never worked and cautioned that the ban would “force locals to buy from the underground market,” which lacks the testing required for the state.
“This is the wrong message to send to young people,” Gleason said.
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Reporter Jesse Major can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at jmajor@peninsula dailynews.com.
