Public hearing shows residents largely opposed to cannabis businesses in Lakewood

A public hearing before the Lakewood Planning Commission drew a mix of speakers but a clear majority opposed allowing cannabis businesses inside city limits.

Residents described neighborhood concerns, safety incidents in nearby Tacoma and Colorado, and potential negative effects on youth. Chris Kaufman said he supported statewide legalization but opposed local dispensaries when Lakewood previously considered them; he asked, "Is the sense of Lakewood having drug dispensaries... because we make a little bit of money?" Brian Borgelt described arsons and other problems he attributed to commercial cannabis activity in Tacoma and urged the commission to keep Lakewood free of retail operations.

Not all testimony opposed change. Paul Bryce, who operates shops in small towns, said legalization is inevitable and argued regulated stores reduce black-market harms. AJ Peters, who identified himself as a social-equity license holder and Lakewood resident, urged the city to consider limited siting, smaller buffer zones in targeted areas, and using license revenues for drug programs: "Allowing cannabis not only would take care of our medical people in the community," he said.

Assistant Director Silva told the commission the draft code maintained a 1,000-foot buffer from protected uses and created a two-tiered requirement of state plus local specialty licensing. After hearing public comment, commissioners debated public-safety, health and fiscal trade-offs before forwarding a unanimous recommendation of disapproval to City Council.