SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL - Record No: CB 120391

• Record No: CB 120391
• Version: 3
• Council Bill No: CB 120391
• Type: Ordinance (Ord)
• Status: Passed
• Current Controlling Legislative Body: City Clerk
• On agenda: 9/6/2022
• Ordinance No: Ord 126663
• Title: AN ORDINANCE establishing the City's commitments and plans for supporting cannabis workers and supporting communities disproportionately harmed by the federal War on Drugs.
• Sponsors: Teresa Mosqueda
• Supporting documents: 1. Central Staff Memo, 2. Central Staff Memo (8/17/22), 3. Presentation, 4. Amendment 3 v2 (added 8/17/22), 5. Amendment A, 6. Signed Ordinance 126663, 7. Affidavit of Publication

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result
9/19/2022	3	City Clerk	attested by City Clerk
9/19/2022	3	Mayor	returned
9/19/2022	3	Mayor	Signed
9/9/2022	3	City Clerk	submitted for Mayor's signature
9/6/2022	2	City Council	passed as amended	Pass
8/17/2022	1	Finance and Housing Committee	pass as amended	Pass
8/11/2022	1	Finance and Housing Committee	discussed
8/9/2022	1	City Council	referred
8/1/2022	1	Council President's Office	sent for review
7/27/2022	1	City Clerk	sent for review
7/27/2022	1	Mayor	Mayor's leg transmitted to Council

CITY OF SEATTLE
ORDINANCE __________________
COUNCIL BILL __________________
title
AN ORDINANCE establishing the City's commitments and plans for supporting cannabis workers and supporting communities disproportionately harmed by the federal War on Drugs.
body
WHEREAS, the unequal enforcement of cannabis laws results in racially disproportionate arrests and incarcerations causing inter-generational poverty, housing insecurity, loss of education and employment opportunities, disruption of family structures and other burdens; and
WHEREAS, the use of the term "marijuana" in the United States has discriminatory origins and should be replaced with the more scientifically accurate term "cannabis"; and
WHEREAS, Initiative 502, the 2012 ballot measure that legalized recreational use of cannabis by adults over 21 years of age in the State of Washington, did not include provisions or create programs to acknowledge the disproportionate harms the enforcement of cannabis laws has on certain populations and communities, primarily Black communities; and
WHEREAS, Seattle cannabis businesses are owned primarily and operated by White men. This is also reflected nationally, as entry and success in the industry requires a combination of personal/generational wealth, access to unrestricted capital, technical expertise and a clean criminal record. The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board released ownership demographic data to the City of Seattle Department of Finance and Administrative Services (FAS) in 2018 and 2020 that confirms this disparity. As of January 2020, 42 of Seattle's 48 cannabis retail stores had White majority ownership, and 37 of those stores were owned by white men; and
WHEREAS, the racial disproportionalities in the cannabis industry extend beyond licensing and ownership to professional development and professional advancement; and
WHEREAS, jobs in the cannabis industry pose unusual risks to workers in both retail and processing due to the prevalence of cash-...