Marijuana retailers sue Lewis County over ordinance

CENTRALIA, Wash. (AP) — Three marijuana retailers are suing Lewis County, Washington, over an ordinance that was approved last year.

The Chronicle reports that the ordinance essentially bans cannabis-related businesses in unincorporated Lewis County by requiring them to get approval from the federal government, which provides no such permission.

A trial date hasn't been set.

The complaint, filed in July 2017, says the county's ordinance is contrary to state law.

They want the court to order the county to issue business licenses to the marijuana retailers.

The state Attorney General's Office filed a motion in July 2017 to intervene in the case.

The motion was granted Friday, meaning the state will now be a defendant along with Lewis County in the lawsuit, Civil Deputy Prosecutor Eric Eisenberg told The Chronicle.