SEATTLE — These may be the last days for the medical marijuana dispensary John Davis opened five years ago in West Seattle. He says he applied for a cannabis license last October.
"What happened was the Liquor and Cannabis Board copied down my information wrong," Davis said. "They sent the emails I was supposed to get for the docu-sign to a competitor. They shuffled me through several investigators."
By then, all 21 medical marijuana dispensaries allowed in Seattle had been licensed.
No license means he'll have to close Friday too.
"The law was very explicit in saying, 'Hey, look, we're moving medical over to the licensed system. But we're going to give the historical medical people with good records, licenses.' Which they didn't."
John Davis is not alone. New Millennium on Rainier Avenue South is in the same predicament.
That is bad news for Levell Turner, a longtime New Millennium customer.
He was asked what he will do if the dispensary goes out of business by Friday.
"Honestly, I don't know what I will do," Turner said. "I really need medical marijuana. I have permanent nerve damage in my arms. And recreational, honestly, their marijuana is not something that I prefer to use."
A dozen dispensaries are trying to get a stay while they pursue a lawsuit against the state.
"All I can do is the best I can," Davis said. "And fight for my business and my employees and my customers."
They will make that case before a judge Wednesday afternoon.