Local entrepreneur looking to open marijuana grow operation
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RAYMOND, Wash. -- It could be a first for our state: A public agency has signed a lease to allow a potential marijuana grow operation on public property.
The Port of Willapa Harbor has come to terms with a well-known Seattle restaurant and night club entrepreneur to allow a cannabis production facility on 16 acres at Stan Hatfield Industrial Park near Raymond Washington.
Marcus Charles, the man behind venues like the Crocodile Café, 360 and Juju, wants to hire upwards to 50 people to work at his operation, which now houses a go-cart track in the shell of what was an old saw mill.
"Essentially, we'll be growing cannabis plants and then process that into oils," Charles said.
Terms of the two year lease call for Charles' management company to pay the Port $4,800 a month plus taxes. According to the Port of Willapa Harbor Manager, Rebecca Chaffee, there are many regulatory contingencies that would let Charles get out of the lease.
The Washington State Liquor Control board has not set up the rules a licensee must follow to grow, produce or sell marijuana as required by Initiative 502. A rule unacceptable to Charles would likely get out of the lease. The rules growers must follow are expected to be out by summer.
The federal government could provide the biggest blow to the state's new marijuana law by suing the state to stop it. That's also a condition Charles could use to get out of the lease, according to Chaffee.
"We have an abandoned facility with the potential high-value use, so we are willing take the risk," Chaffee said.
She said the county sheriff, city leaders of Raymond and county lawmakers are all on board with the plan.
"Next to Weyerhaeuser, this would be the second largest private employer in the city of Raymond," Chaffee said.
Raymond, a city of nearly 3,000 people, has been suffering under the long term decline of the lumber business. A large scale marijuana grow operation would help the city's economy according to Chaffee.
"We feel this is a business lease to a businessman we feel is very credible," Chaffee said. "We hope he will be successful, because if he's successful it will help the community and that's what we are looking for."
Charles has been looking for a location to build his marijuana plant for months and eventually settled on the Raymond site because it already has a large warehouse-size structure that can be renovated into a three tier grow operation.
"We really like Raymond because of the natural work force that is indigenous to the area, and they want us to be there and we wanted to be there," he said.
Timber for pot maybe Raymond's new future.
The Port of Willapa Harbor has come to terms with a well-known Seattle restaurant and night club entrepreneur to allow a cannabis production facility on 16 acres at Stan Hatfield Industrial Park near Raymond Washington.
Marcus Charles, the man behind venues like the Crocodile Café, 360 and Juju, wants to hire upwards to 50 people to work at his operation, which now houses a go-cart track in the shell of what was an old saw mill.
"Essentially, we'll be growing cannabis plants and then process that into oils," Charles said.
Terms of the two year lease call for Charles' management company to pay the Port $4,800 a month plus taxes. According to the Port of Willapa Harbor Manager, Rebecca Chaffee, there are many regulatory contingencies that would let Charles get out of the lease.
The Washington State Liquor Control board has not set up the rules a licensee must follow to grow, produce or sell marijuana as required by Initiative 502. A rule unacceptable to Charles would likely get out of the lease. The rules growers must follow are expected to be out by summer.
The federal government could provide the biggest blow to the state's new marijuana law by suing the state to stop it. That's also a condition Charles could use to get out of the lease, according to Chaffee.
"We have an abandoned facility with the potential high-value use, so we are willing take the risk," Chaffee said.
She said the county sheriff, city leaders of Raymond and county lawmakers are all on board with the plan.
"Next to Weyerhaeuser, this would be the second largest private employer in the city of Raymond," Chaffee said.
Raymond, a city of nearly 3,000 people, has been suffering under the long term decline of the lumber business. A large scale marijuana grow operation would help the city's economy according to Chaffee.
"We feel this is a business lease to a businessman we feel is very credible," Chaffee said. "We hope he will be successful, because if he's successful it will help the community and that's what we are looking for."
Charles has been looking for a location to build his marijuana plant for months and eventually settled on the Raymond site because it already has a large warehouse-size structure that can be renovated into a three tier grow operation.
"We really like Raymond because of the natural work force that is indigenous to the area, and they want us to be there and we wanted to be there," he said.
Timber for pot maybe Raymond's new future.
Make that tax dollars but make sure they put the clause in there that 'illegal activity' has a zero tolerance. Also require them to hire security because you know there are clowns that will still go out and steal this crap....
I just care that the city and the state gets its tax dollars from this, I could care less as long as I don't get some stoners living outside my place smoking like chimneys keeping me from getting that disgusting smelling crap sucked into my place in the summer!
@Freespeech Good luck seeing any tangible benefits from your government pertaining taxing marijuana.... Until the Federal Government is challenged and the issues involving marijuana such as: taxation, cultivation, zoning laws, public safety etc. nothing will change or happen. SCOTUS needs to have the final say pertaining to the Federal Government overstepping "we the people" and our vote.
Marijuana legal or illegal is here to stay.... Many will continue cultivating, distributing and smoking Marijuana til the end of time.... Get used to it or not!
A message to all the parasitic prohibitionists on this thread:
Our prisons are full, our economy is in ruins, the lives and livelihoods of tens of millions of Americans have been destroyed or severely disrupted. What was once a shining beacon of liberty and prosperity has become a toxic, repressive, smoldering heap of hypocrisy and a gross affront to fundamental human decency.Â
Accordingly, it is now the duty of every last one of us to insure that people like yourself, who are responsible for this shameful situation, are not simply left in peace to enjoy the wealth and status that your despicable actions have, until now, afforded you. Former and present Prohibitionists will not be allowed to remain untainted and untouched from the unconscionable acts that have been viciously committed on fellow citizensâyou have provided us with neither safe communities nor safe streets; we will provide you with neither a safe haven to enjoy your ill-gotten gains nor the liberty to repeat such a similar atrocity.
If you're a bottom-dwelling, prohibitionist parasite who's career has entailed subjecting the rest of us to off-the-scale corruption and lawlessness, then maybe you should consider moving to somewhere that won't extradite you to a future national or international drug-war tribunal for your crimes against humanity. Â
BRAVO MALCOLM KYLE...! ! !
@Malcolm Kyle Yeah.... Kinda like Bush Jr. and the illegal Iraq war.... nope, these kinds of vermin/busybodies continue on.....
The citizens of Washington state have rejected the failed War on Drugs,but the Know Nothing Prohibitionists continue to spew their ignorant Reefer madness nonsense.
@Justin Hale Those who get in my face over my personal choices usually get their arse kicked..... That would include busybodies telling me not to smoke marijuana in my own time.. Ha!
Special thanks to the fiscal conservatives in Congress that made the sequestration possible! According to the OMB's report to Congress, the Drug Enforcement Administration will lose $166 million from its $2.02 billion staffing and appropriations budget. DOD's Drug Interdiction and Counter-Drug Activities budget of $1.6 billion will be reduced by $157 million. DOJ's Interagency Crime and Drug Enforcement budget of $528 million will be reduced by $43 million. The DEA Diversion Control Fee Account budget of $335 million will be reduced by $25 million. The Office of National Drug Control Policy budget of $25 million will be reduced by $2 million. The High-intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program budget of $239 million will be reduced by $20 million. "Other Federal Drug Control Programs," with a total budget of $100 million, will undergo $8 million in cuts.
@Kevin Hunt As far as I am concerned Homeland Security would've been the first cut..... Homeland Security grew our government 3 fold during Bush Jr.'s reign of terror over "we the people" and our wishes.
@Funky-Munky
Reagan doubled the deficit from $79 billion to $155 billion, and tripled the debt from $995 billion to $2.9 trillion.
Bush H increased the debt from $2.9 trillion to $4.3 trillion.
Bush W increased the debt from $6 trillion to $10 trillion.
If this great state does not have enough to deal with ..  wait till the pot smokers arrive........................
DISPATCH911 Oooh,be Afraid,very afraid.
@Justin Hale LOL Not hardly "Justin"
@DISPATCH911
Oooh,be Afraid,very afraid.
@DISPATCH911  Dont you know? We are ALREADY HERE!
@scared_citizen @DISPATCH911 Oh yeah but there are many more to come ...........
@DISPATCH911Â Perhaps admitted marijuana users Newt Gingrich or Rick Santorum will buy a place in town. Â There goes the neighborhood....
@scared_citizen I agree... cannabis is to WA as Jack Daniel's is to TN.
@DISPATCH911Â Hopefully they will chase the drunk pill-popping prohibitionists out of the state.
Many famous âdrug warriorsâ have been and are guilty of using, smuggling, or pushing drugs. Â Nixon was addicted to the narcotic Dilantin. Â Ronald Reagan was a spokesman for Chesterfield cigarettes, the most deadly drug on the planet. Â Ronnieâs Iran Contra operation was a front for coke smuggling. Â Nancy Reagan (a child abuser) was addicted to tranquilizers. Â Bush H. (a Halicion addict) was on the board of Eli Lily, makers of the dangerous and defective Darvocet. Bill Clinton inhaled. Â Bush W. was an alcoholic that refused to deny doing illegal drugs. Â Rush Limbaugh was busted for pills. Mitt Romney was workingÂ
@Kevin Hunt @DISPATCH911 Don't think I said anything about the Pill pushers .. that's another WHOLE story
@DISPATCH911Â The story is that the drug warriors are hypocrites and no longer have credibility. Â D.A.R.E. officers attempted to lecture to classes full of kids that were given speed for their ADD.
Behold the dying days of the drug war.
Anyone allowing the state or another to cultivate a houseplant for them is foolish..... Legalization at the hands of the government just ends up being another form of control over the people. Our leaders will over tax, over regulate and will continue to overspend every chance they get pertaining to implementing legalization. All the while the Federal Government is laughing and waiting for the first grow op. to bust..... It's better to continue on with the Black Market... cheaper, safer and less of a hassle!
I live in Raymond. This is terrible to me. We don't want our town being know for pot. We were known for our timber up until now. We have at least 3 saw mills and another one is reopening. We already have a drug problem at our school this would make it worse. Having a open door for pot to grow on our doorstep
@Jacob Doyle I agree Jacob! Raymond is already knee deep in drugs and drug related crimes. This is NOT a good idea. ps. I hope Caleb is doing better. :)
@JHawks@Jacob Doyle Great, another self-righteous type chimes in. Apparently completely unaware of what this is going to require. It's not like they're going to have a retail outlet so people can step up and buy this stuff. It is for medical use, not recreational, at least at this time. "We don't want our town to be known for this"...great, but you DO want your town to be known for lack of employment, mouth-breathing inbred rednecks, and meth? At this point, ANY jobs should be welcome, and pot smokers are already there! In DROVES. You act like this is going to turn EVERYONE into a pot-smoking zombie! I bet you had your own party-hearty days, and now you want to look down your nose at anyone else who might want to have fun. That isn't even what this is about. What do you care what the area is known for, as long as it is bringing JOBS to a very depressed area. "We need jobs, but only if *I* approve of them!"
@JHawks @Jacob Doyle By the way, making it legal takes a lot of the criminal element out of it. If people could grow their own, or freely buy it, the price comes down, less need for people to steal. That area has a lot more to deal with, with the TWEEKERS who strip phone boxes, etc, for metals to sell for meth than crimes by pot-smoking STONERS. Make it available, affordable, and far fewer people are committing related crimes.Â
@Jacob Doyle
During alcohol prohibition in the 1920s, all profits went to enrich thugs and criminals. Young men died every day on inner-city streets while battling over turf. A fortune was wasted on enforcement that could have gone on treatment. On top of the budget-busting prosecution and incarceration costs, billions in taxes were lost. Finally the economy collapsed. Sound familiar?
@Jacob Doyle
You argue for a policy that has been soundly rejected by your fellow Citizens. By the way we legalized it for Adults,not school kids,if kids are using it now they are getting it from the black market,un-regulated and not inspected for contaminants,legal MJ will be regulated And inspected AND they check for I.D. Which MJ would you prefer to use?
@Justin Hale By our politicans i has been rejected. They are corrput many fellow citzens still want this policy
@Jacob Doyle @Justin Hale No, they don't, or it would not have passed.
@Jacob Doyle So, are you saying the Prohibition hasn't stopped your town's drug issues? I'm shocked!!
@Mike Parent No im not saying that lok at what i just told Malcom Kyle.Â
@Jacob DoyleWhy do you wish to continue waging war on your own family, friends and neighbors?
Prohibition failed! How come you don't know yet?
@Malcolm Kyle Many people think because I said this statement I don't want marijuana to be legal. I do! I'm and advocate for legaliaztion. I would just like to see more usefull stutff done with that Warehouse. It can make more jobs if I was reponed as a mill. Or even what I siad to keven hunt make it somethiing for the kids.
@Kevin Hunt @Jacob Doyle And the uses of hempseed oil are many, including as a food that REPAIRS DNA!
@Jacob Doyle @Malcolm Kyle 50 is a good start. Do you think they should wait until something comes along to create 100 jobs? You have a skate park for the kids...how much revenue and employment is that bringing in? Oh, right...none. People who have no money, cannot spend money. Again, this is a high-security facility, not something just open for anyone to walk in and walk off with some weed. Cannabis oil is shown to CURE CANCER (look it up). It has been relied on for medicine for ages. Any recreational use aside, it is jobs, it is hope, it is medicine. There has been a video arcade or two in town, hasn't there? They went bust. Most businesses in town that don't export go bust. This is a growth industry (pardon the pun) that could eventually expand and bring MORE jobs to the area, but so many closed-minded people want to look down their noses and worry about some sort of 'image'. Yes, the image of a dead, defunct, broke town of zero employment is SO much better than being known for producing cannabis oil.
@Jacob Doyle @Malcolm Kyle Well then, get on it, YOU do something, or get out of the way of people who ARE doing something! Put your money where your keyboard is!
@Jacob Doyle Show me one person who has ever gone to prison for industrial hemp.  David Bronner grew it in front of the White House and got a parking ticket.
@Kevin Hunt @Jacob Doyle Until the FEDs come in an bring me a nice jail sentence.
@Jacob Doyle Start an industrial hemp business.  Make hempseed oil.  Get rich.  Retire young.
@Malcolm Kyle @Jacob Doyle Look Im highschool student when it rains around here (which is 90% of the year) we bascially have nothing to do. If that was turned into something usefull to us it would be great. If not repoen the will it will create more than 50 jobs. My uncle is moving out of state due to lack of jobs. More than 50 jobs need created.
@Jacob Doyle @Malcolm Kyle
"For the children" where have we heard that before?
@Jacob Doyle Â
Weed: The new timber. Watch out for Spotted Owls!
@Bornhere More like "watch out for spotted mites"!
@Kevin Hunt
LOL
@Bornhere ??Â
@Jacob Doyle Move to Oklahoma if you want to live in a place where marijuana is illegal.  Enjoy the meth-heads down there.
Im fine with marijunana being legal. I just don't want that to be the image of our town. We have meth-heads here to.
@Funky-Munky Yikes!
@Kevin Hunt Sadly.... That town is a meth and heroin factory... GraysHarbor is the same....
@Jacob Doyle Chase the meth-heads out of town...send them to OK...
Trail of Tears..the sequel!
@Jacob Doyle I hate to break it to you..... There are many illegal grow op. in Raymond larger than the one you're whining about.....
@Funky-Munky Still it puts a bad image on the town. Not many people want to move or raise kids here with this image. Not many move here anyway
@Jacob Doyle I understand and empathize with your plight..... Sadly.. It's their money, idea and they're Hell bent to make it happen. You might be surprised the grow op. could be busted by the Federal Government immediately upon its inception...
@scared_citizen @Jacob Doyle @Funky-Munky Why fund a 100% cancerous, corrupt and out of control government? I agree....
Loook at my repsonse to Kevin hunt.
@Jacob Doyle @Funky-Munky Just say no to JOBS!
We try idk if anyone has really tried but all I'm saying is I'd like to make the warehouse into something helpful to the kids around here. I get the point of adding jobs but if that will would start back up lots more than 50 would be made.
@Jacob Doyle I agree..idle hands are the devil's workshop.  Get some liability insurance and bring back the karts.
Look Raymond used to be a very family orintated town. My Family has been here sence My Great Great Great Great Grandfather. We are natives to this area. I've been down that warewhouse it was a dirt go cart track until someone got hurt. Not many kids around here have much to do and that was something. If not a go cart track something else fun for kids.
@Jacob Doyle Marijuana is and has been everywhere forever..... You just haven't been privy to who's growing and using.... You might be surprised who lies about smoking, cultivating and distributing marijuana so they can keep their job.
@Jacob Doyle "Not many people want to move or raise kids here with this image."  Not many intolerant jerks want to move there?  Great!