Local News

Illegal Marijuana Dispensary Shut Down by Law Enforcement

Jun 17, 2015

Following an investigation that occurred over the past several months, members of the North Central Washington Narcotics Task Force executed a search warrant on the illegal medical marijuana dispensary that was doing business as Alternative Medicine on Elmway in Okanogan.

Task Force Commander Steve Brown said in a phone interview this morning that no arrests were made but that they were there to educate the individuals involved and to collect the evidence which will be forwarded on to the prosecutor to decide if charges will be filed. Brown said the business does not have an I-502 retail license to sell marijuana, however the man that owns the building in which Alternative Medicine does business, Donald Manchester does have a producers license. Brown said Manchester was also mentioned in an article last November in the Omak Chronicle that named Manchester as one of the individual that was opening this store.

Under Initiative 502, growers and producers are not allowed to also have retail licenses, and are prohibited from selling marijuana on a retail level.

In 1998 voters approved Initiative 692 which permitted the use of marijuana for medical purposes by qualifying patients. The Legislature subsequently amended the chapter on medical use of marijuana in 2007, 2010, and 2011, changing who may authorize the medical use of marijuana, the definition of terminal or debilitating medical condition, what constitutes a 60-day supply of medical marijuana, and allowing qualifying patients and designated providers to participate in collective gardens.

In order to qualify for the use of medical marijuana, patients must have a terminal or debilitating medical condition such as cancer, the human immunodeficiency virus, multiple sclerosis, intractable pain, glaucoma, Crohn’s disease, hepatitis C, nausea or seizure diseases, or a disease approved by the Medical Quality Assurance Commission, and the diagnosis of this condition must be made by a health care professional.

During the investigation, agents were able to purchased marijuana three times from Alternative Medicine. One of the purchases was made with a medical marijuana authorization, the other two agents did not have a medical marijuana authorization from a doctor and they were able to purchase the drug anyway.

Under Washington’s Medical Marijuana law, patients may grow medical marijuana for themselves or designate a provider to grow on their behalf. Designated providers may only provide marijuana for one patient at a time, must be 18 years of age, and must be designated in writing by the qualifying patient to serve in this capacity. Dispensaries that work as a retail outlet for patients were never authorized in Washington’s law.

Brown said the store has been shut down. He said they ask what would happen if they reopened and Brown said they were told at that point arrests would be made.