Oct. 5—Centralia’s second marijuana dispensary, Greens on Gold, has been given the green light to open after a seven-year struggle for owner Dick Watkins.
The City of Centralia has approved Watkins’ business license application, which was submitted at the end of August but came under scrutiny over concerns about the location.
Watkins was originally granted a license to open a cannabis dispensary by the state in 2015 but has faced zoning issues when it came to actually opening the dispensary. Centralia has strictly limited where such businesses can be built since the legalization of recreational marijuana in 2012.
CORE Health, a mental health facility specializing in substance abuse treatment and homeless outreach, raised concerns about the dispensary’s proximity to its location.
Once the dispensary is open, the buildings on opposite sides of South Gold Street will be approximately 350 feet from one another.
CORE raised concerns because the services it provides mostly focus on drug rehabilitation programs and child care for those using its services.
In a Sept. 14 letter, CORE’s legal counsel wrote to the Centralia City Manager Rob Hill and City Attorney Shannon Murphy-Olson, the business explained that Greens on Gold was, “Less than 1,000 feet from our mental health, child care, homeless and