Benton County Judge Agrees With AG Opinion on City-County Pot Bans

Now, this makes three...Friday another Superior Court Judge agreed with the January opinion issued by WA State Attorney General Bob Ferguson, that cities and counties to have the authority to pass their own pot bans.

AG Ferguson issued a statement late Friday saying Benton County Superior Court Judge Vic VanderSchoor upheld his opinion.   In the case of Americanna Weed LLC. vs. The City of Kennewick,   VanderSchoor ruled that as drafted (and passed by voters) I-502 allows individual county and city bans.

There are such bans in Richland, Kennewick, Pasco, Yakima, Yakima County and other areas.

The other judges who ruled similarly were presiding over the well-publicized cases in Fife and Wenatchee.   The plaintiffs in the Fife case have appealed to the Washington State Supreme Court, and it is expected the court will decide in early 2015 if they will take the case.

Earlier this week, Newstalk 870 explained why the bans are likely here to stay, and this ruling certainly adds to that momentum.