On Friday, King County Superior Court Judge Jean Rietschel denied an injunction filed by Mount Calvary Christian Center to close Uncle Ike’s Pot Shop, which is located right next to the church, until a lawsuit to permanently close the store is settled.
In October, Mt. Calvary filed a lawsuit against the Washington State Liquor Control Board (WSLCB), the City of Seattle and Ian Eisenberg, owner of Uncle Ike’s Pot Shop, a recreational marijuana retailer that recently opened within 400 feet of Mt. Calvary in Seattle’s Central District.
The lawsuit seeks to revoke the state license to operate the Uncle Ike’s retail establishment located at 2310 East Union St. and to establish appropriate due process for future proposed operations with notice and opportunity to comment.
“Our due process has been violated, and we have been disrespected by Washington state and the City of Seattle, who failed to give notice of this application and have neglected to enforce their own rules,” said Rev. Reggie Witherspoon, pastor of Mt. Calvary. “This marijuana retailer is clearly in violation of law – it’s located less than 1,000 feet from our own Joshua Generation Teen Center, as well as a public park. The city and state are arbitrarily enforcing their laws, abusing their discretion and discriminating against our neighborhood.”
According to Washington State Liquor Control Board (WSLCB) rules, a marijuana retailer cannot set up a store within 1,000 feet of certain places, including any recreation center or facility. Uncle Ike’s is located within 400 feet of Mt. Calvary’s youth center. Despite the outside paved fence area, outdoor lights and two basketball courts, the Liquor Control Board determined that Mt. Calvary was not a recreation center and did not discuss with Rev. Witherspoon before making their decision.
According to reports, the judge would not grant the injunction because the church did not prove that allowing the store to remain open would cause irreparable harm.
The lawsuit is scheduled to be heard in 2015.
According to figures published by the WSLCB, Uncle Ike’s had over $500,000 in revenue during November.
