Lynnwood Council heats up over cannabis sales, EV charger fees

Key takeaways 

• Four longtime cannabis store owners and Lynnwood cannabis license holders provided input regarding a potential reversal of the city’s retail cannabis ban.  

• A representative from the Cannabis Alliance challenged claims made by State Rep. Lauren Davis in June about the health risks of cannabis.
• The council discussed implementing a 39-cent-per-kilowatt-hour fee to use the EV charging stations at city hall. 

The Lynnwood City Council clashed over the city’s long-standing ban on cannabis sales during its July 7 meeting, while also weighing a proposed fee for public electric vehicle charging stations outside city hall.

Despite Washington legalizing recreational cannabis more than a decade ago, sales remain banned in Lynnwood. That could change in September, when the City Council is slated to vote on whether to overturn the ban.

During Monday’s meeting, Cannabis Alliance Executive Director Caitlein Ryan and four license holders shared their perspectives with the council.

Who holds cannabis licenses in Lynnwood? The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board uses a lottery system to allocate retail cannabis licenses statewide based on population and demand, even if a city bans sales. Lynnwood has four such licenses, but they remain inactive due to the city’s prohibition. Should the ban be lifted, those licensees include: 

Henok Abraha, owner of KushKlub, which has locations locally in Everett and Shoreline, as well as retail stores in Jersey City, New Jersey; Vancouver, British Columbia and Toronto, Ontario. 

• Derek Anderson, who holds two Lynnwood licenses. He co-founded The Joint with Shy Sadis but no longer owns or operates the stores.
• Shy Sadis, current owner of The Joint and Starbuds in Seattle. 
• Gene Kulinovsky, who no longer holds a license but previously owned Kush21 (formerly Kushman’s) in Mukilteo and another store just outside Lynnwood in unincorporated Snohomish County.

Campaign contributions: Abraha, a longtime Lynnwood resident, said he previously donated to the campaigns of Council President Nick Coelho, Council Vice President Josh Binda and Councilmember George Hurst.

Details: On Monday, Ryan pushed back on statements made by Rep. Davis last month, saying cannabis has no known lethal dose and doesn’t directly cause schizophrenia or other mental illnesses. However, she acknowledged it may trigger symptoms in those with a family history of such conditions.

• “I’m not here to dismiss the concerns about cannabis or to pretend that there aren’t risks associated with it,” Ryan told the council Monday. “I do think it is really important that we put those risks in context.”
• The license holders expressed interest in operating in Lynnwood and generally supported rules that would space out stores to avoid clustering.

Where do councilmembers stand? Councilmember Patrick Decker remains the most outspoken opponent of lifting the ban. He voted against a similar proposal made by Councilmember Hurst in 2021.

• Councilmember David Parshall, who has previously supported exploring legalization in Lynnwood, expressed concern Monday over mental health impacts.“I can not support bringing in a product that will cause mental health disorders, harm our youth, harm poor people in Lynnwood and harm racial racial minorities, especially Latinx populations,” he said. 
• Councilmember Derica Escamilla described herself as “pro-cannabis” but said concerns about youth access gave her pause. After speaking with members of the Latinx community, she said she was wary of “over-regulating.” 
• Councilmembers Binda, Coelho and Hurst have been vocally  favored overturning the ban. Councilmember Robert Leutwyler previously supported steps in that direction but was less vocal than his counterparts. 

Electric vehicle fees

The council also reviewed a proposal to begin charging users at the city’s public EV stations, which opened in May outside city hall. Right now, the chargers are free, but staff suggested a 39-cent-per-kilowatt-hour fee, which could mean a full charge costs between $20 and $40, depending on the vehicle.

Why? Public Works Deputy Director Marcie MacQuarrie said the fees would help cover operation and maintenance costs. The stations were never intended to be free, she added.

• The rate is similar to other city-owned stations nearby and slightly lower than privately owned ones. If approved, the city would review the fee every two years. 

Fees at nearby city-owned stations

• Redmond: $0.23/kwh, additional $5/hour charge after three hours. 
• Edmonds: $1.50/hour. 
• Kirkland: Free. 
• Shoreline: Free. 
• Marysville: $1.75. 
• Tacoma: $0.40/hwh

Fees at privately owned stations in Lynnwood

• Alderwood Mall: $0.65/kwh
• Hilton Garden: $0.40/kwh. 
• Edmonds: $0.50/kwh + $1 connection fee. 

Crunching the numbers: Between May 19 and the end of June, the stations used roughly 6,500 kWh. At the proposed rate, that would’ve generated about $2,535. If usage holds steady, the city could collect more than $30,000 a year.

Other business: Council President Coelho and Councilmember Leutwyler gave a brief report on their recent trip to Providence, Rhode Island, where they attended the Strong Towns National Gathering and the Congress for New Urbanism conference.

A full meeting recording can be found on the city’s website. 

— Contact Ashley at ashley@myedmondsnews.com.