Local retailer applicant alleges 10,000-foot cannabis buffer was shaped for private interests, not public safety

Patrick Ann, a local business owner who said he is the applicant directly affected by the county’s proposed 10,000-foot buffer for cannabis retailers, told the Snohomish County Council on April 15 that internal communications show the rule was shaped around a private interest rather than neutral planning or public-safety standards.

"The client is the public, not a lobbyist, not a specific private interest," Patrick said during the meeting’s public-comment period, urging the council to review how the code change was developed. He said county staff member Ryan Countryman and lobbyist Josh Estes were discussed in internal emails about reaching an "easy round number" that would not invite scrutiny.

The allegation centers on a proposed 10,000-foot separation distance for cannabis retail stores. Patrick said the restriction prevented a location that had operated as a retail cannabis site for nearly a decade from opening, leaving him unable to operate for more than a year. He estimated the closure has prevented about $200,000 a month in tax revenue and local jobs tied to that store.

A cannabis industry processor, Scott McKinley, spoke after Patrick and backed his account, saying the closed location had been important to his brand’s distribution and earnings. "Don't take this away from him," McKinley told the council, describing economic harm to small operators.

The meeting record shows these statements were made during public comment; the council took no immediate action related to the buffer during the session. Council members did not engage in a recorded debate or vote on the underlying code change at this meeting.

The comment period also included other concerns: a caller identified as Ken urged the council to investigate potential illnesses and pension issues tied to past county road-crew herbicide exposure, and Maxwell Fugarski, representing Leadership Snohomish’s project for Music for Life, asked residents to donate instruments and attend a benefit on April 23.

The council proceeded to routine agenda items and votes after closing public comment. The county has not recorded a formal response or a council directive on the 10,000-foot buffer in this meeting’s minutes.