Underage pot use in Spokane Valley under review
After passing a moratorium on new marijuana businesses earlier this week, the Spokane Valley City Council may once again harden its stance on pot with a measure to curb underage use.
Council members will decide at their Tuesday meeting whether to have city staff draft an ordinance penalizing minors who have consumed marijuana or are under its influence in public.
Mayor Dean Grafos requested a presentation on the issue after police Chief Rick Van Leuven said at an October council meeting that legislation was needed to address marijuana use by minors. But Grafos said he hasn’t decided if he would support an ordinance to ban consumption by minors.
“I don’t even know if it’s an issue. That’s why I asked the question,” he said.
The council will review bans and moratoriums in other Washington cities.
Washington law bans alcohol consumption by minors, but no parallel law exists for marijuana. People under age 21 who appear intoxicated or have the odor of alcohol on their breath can be charged for consuming alcohol, even if they don’t have any in their possession.
Liberty Lake became the first city in Washington to adopt a similar measure in October, making it a civil infraction for minors under 21 to consume marijuana. Police can write a $50 ticket to minors who have the odor of marijuana on their breath in public, provided they’re found with or in close proximity to the drug or appear to be under the influence based on speech and behavior.
That measure drew criticism from some local attorneys, who felt it was overly broad in scope and would allow police to ticket minors based on normal teenage behavior, like appearing sleepy or disinterested.
Liberty Lake police Chief Brian Asmus said no citations have been written.
“We tried to be a leader out there for cities, and think this is a very good thing for cities like the Valley,” Liberty Lake Mayor Steve Peterson said.