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Pot Delivery Bill Clears Legislative Hurdle

highaboveseattle.com

A Washington House committee has approved a bill that allows marijuana retailers to get into the delivery business.

The bill would only apply in cities that authorize marijuana delivery. It would create rules for companies and their drivers to follow. Companies could only employ two delivery vehicles during a work shift. Their cars must be unmarked. Drivers must work for the retail outlet and undergo training. Participating companies would have to pay a fee for the privilege.

At a hearing last week, Rebecca Johnson from the city of Seattle endorsed the bill as a public safety tool that would allow retailers to provide a service desired by their customers. She says it would also help police track legal and illegal deliveries.

Marijuana proponents are split on this. John Kingsbury from the group Patients United says he sees all kinds of security issues.

“What this bill does is it takes away the walls, it takes away the witnesses, it takes away the cameras and the security protocol and any sort of alarms. And it puts the sale at the place the caller chooses in an all-cash business," Kingsbury said. "If that’s not a recipe for disaster, I don’t know what is.”

Bailey Hirschberg from the pro-marijuana group Washington NORML says the security concerns can be worked out.

“I think we’re narrowing down some technology that will allow us to track delivery people, have a record of who’s buying and what’s the agreed upon location,” he said.

The bill now moves to the Ways and Means Committee and perhaps to a vote in the full House.

Our thanks to TVW for the audio for this story.