Parkland businessman thumbs nose at Pierce County pot shop ban

Although Pierce County has banned legal marijuana retail shops, a local businessman says he plans to open a store this weekend anyway.

Tedd Wetherbee says he was granted a license by the state earlier this week to open The Gallery in Parkland.

Whetherbee, who unsuccessfully sued the city of Fife for failing to grant him a business license to open a pot shop, says he’s tired of seeing dozens of illegal medical pot shops open in his neighborhood.

“We can’t continue to let Wild West drug dealing take place while licensed businessmen can’t conduct their business. So we said you know what, we’re going to open,” he says.

While courts have ruled cities and counties can ban the shops, the state liquor control board has no say in the matter once he’s licensed because state law allows the retail shops, Wetherbee said.

The businessman has notified the county of his plans to open The Gallery later this week. But he doesn’t think officials will take action against him.

“We’re not looking for a fight, we’re not looking to poke anybody in the eye. We want to pay taxes,” he says. “And within a mile and a half radius of our legal retail store that we can’t open, there are 11 illegal dispensaries. And I use that term loosely. You can go in there and it’s literally a guy with a card table and jars of marijuana.”

The news was a surprise to Pierce County Executive Pat McCarthy, she said in a statement.

“This has just come to our attention. I will be consulting with the County Council and Prosecuting Attorney to determine our response,” McCarthy said.

Wetherbee said he’ll seek to open several other stores around the county as well and has won the lottery for three additional licenses.

“The voters have said, hey we want safe legal retail marijuana. We don’t want drug dealers on our corners anymore. We don’t want cartels doing business. We don’t want tax-free commerce taking place.”