[#item_full_content] [[{“value”:”The BriefPasco City Council voted 4-3 to support a fifth cannabis retail license through Washington’s Social Equity in Cannabis Program, marking a significant shift in the city’s cannabis policy.The decision will require the city to amend its municipal code to increase the retail license cap from four to five, a process expected to take approximately two months and include a public hearing.Compas LLC, a locally owned business owned by Tri-Cities resident Zachary Fairley, would operate the proposed dispensary at 5804 Road 90 under the social equity program designed to help communities disproportionately impacted by drug enforcement.PASCO, Wash. — A crowd packed Pasco City Hall on Monday night as the city council voted to support a fifth cannabis retail license, igniting a broader debate about community impact, business equity and the city’s future direction.The 4-3 vote authorizes the city manager to submit an affirmative consent letter to the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board for Compas LLC, a locally owned cannabis business seeking to open at the former Green 2 Go location on Road 90. The decision does not immediately open another shop — the city must still amend its ordinance to raise the cap from four to five licenses, a process expected to include a public hearing within the next two months.The vote reflects a sharp divide within the community. Opponents, including parents, teachers and former law enforcement officers, urged council members to maintain the four-license cap, citing concerns about youth access, impaired driving and the normalization of cannabis in the community. Supporters argued the city should approve the applicant and location based on their merits, not reopen the debate over whether cannabis should be legal.”I’ve seen the drug marijuana destroy individuals’ lives, marriages, families,” said Brad Klippert, a former law enforcement officer with 33 years of experience, including 26 years as a school resource officer. “If you’ve ever gone to a drug court graduation, as I have, many take a box of Kleenex because you hear the damage this drug causes in people’s lives.”Kamara Brooks, owner of Tri-Cities 911 Driving School, emphasized public safety concerns. “We should be looking for ways to reduce impaired driving, not increasing the visibility of businesses that sell intoxicating products,” Brooks said. “Legalization does not require normalization.”The debate centered on whether approving one additional license would open the door to future requests and set a precedent for unlimited expansion. Council members who opposed the measure expressed concern that lifting the cap would inevitably lead to more applications.However, supporters of Compas LLC focused on the applicant’s qualifications and community engagement. Zachary Fairley, the company’s owner, told the council that his team conducted extensive outreach in the neighborhood surrounding the proposed location.”We went door to door over the last several days, and more importantly, we listened,” Fairley said. “The response was overwhelmingly positive.”Compas LLC is applying through Washington’s Social Equity in Cannabis Program, which was established to reduce barriers and promote participation in the legal cannabis market for communities disproportionately impacted by drug enforcement. The program allows the state to issue retail cannabis licenses above the standard population-based local allotment, subject to local approval.Councilman David Figueroa, who supported the measure, reframed the discussion away from cannabis policy itself. “This isn’t really about the cannabis issue,” Figueroa said. “It’s about whether we want a predictable policy or an unpredictable one.”Figueroa proposed establishing a population-based standard for future licenses — one license per 30,000 residents — to create a predictable framework rather than addressing each application individually. This approach, he argued, would provide clarity for both the city and potential applicants.The proposed location at 5804 Road 90, Suites F and G, previously housed Green 2 Go, which operated there starting in July 2023 before relocating elsewhere in Pasco. According to the city council’s agenda report, the property owner submitted a support letter stating that nearby tenants had raised no issues with cannabis retail at the site and that required security measures had enhanced safety in the building.Compas LLC projects first-year pre-tax sales between $2.4 million and $3.6 million and estimates the business would create 10 to 15 local jobs at opening. The company is the first Latino, Black and veteran-owned cannabis retail business to seek a license in Pasco.The city’s financial stake in the decision is modest. Pasco received approximately $41,650 in fiscal year 2025 through the state retail sales distribution from its existing four licenses — roughly $10,000 per store annually. The additional revenue from a fifth license would increase over time but remains a secondary consideration in the council’s deliberations.The city council’s 2023 decision to allow cannabis retail in Pasco was itself contentious. A community survey conducted at that time found residents nearly evenly split: 45% supported retail cannabis sales, 46% opposed it, and about 10% were unsure. The four-license cap was implemented as a compromise to address concerns from the community opposed to cannabis retail.Several speakers during Monday’s public comment period raised concerns about the location’s proximity to Reynolds Middle School. A public school teacher noted that students already face distractions from nearby businesses and expressed worry about additional temptations.Other speakers highlighted the medicinal value of cannabis for patients managing chronic pain, epilepsy, PTSD, and cancer treatment side effects.The council’s next steps involve preparing an ordinance amendment to increase the cannabis retail license density limit from four to five licenses. The amendment will include the population-based standard for future increases. This ordinance will undergo a public hearing and notice process before final approval, a timeline the city estimates will take approximately two months.The vote sends Pasco’s support to the state, but the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board retains final authority over the license. The state must approve Compas LLC’s application before the city can issue a local business license.If the ordinance is approved later this fall, Compas LLC could open at the Road 90 location. The company estimates it would create local jobs, while opponents say they will continue advocating against the expansion before the final city council vote on the code change.
News
Pasco cannabis advisory vote resolution fails; council approves retail cannabis shops
By Rylee Fitzgerald
Local News
New business has some Pasco residents buzzing
Crime
APPROVED! City of Pasco approves sale of retail cannabis
By: Rylee Fitzgerald, Morgan Huff, Erin Wencl
Crime
Pasco Police Department opposed to lifting ban on marijuana retail sales in the city
By Erin Wencl, Rylee Fitzgerald
Lifestyle
Pasco community members weigh in on retail cannabis discussion
By Rylee Fitzgerald
COPYRIGHT 2026 BY APPLE VALLEY NEWS NOW. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.”}]] 
Read More