The people have spoken -- twice.  The residents in the unincorporated areas of Yakima County (land outside of the cities) have voted "NO" twice on the question of  "Should marijuana be allowed to be grown, processed or sold in the unincorporated areas of Yakima County?"

The clock is now officially ticking on those operations and the message was served in a cease and desist letter to marijuana operators from Yakima County Prosecutor Joe Brusic.

Here's the conditions outlined in that letter from a press release from the prosecutor's office.

Yakima County confirmed today that it is in the process of enforcing its ban on marijuana businesses and is taking steps to abate the public nuisances those businesses present.  Based on successful results in each of the two lawsuits that Yakima County has brought against marijuana businesses thus far, the County is sending cease and desist letters to the operators of all remaining businesses engaged in the production, processing, and/or retail sale of marijuana and/or marijuana-infused products in unincorporated Yakima County.

The County is giving each of the businesses to whom the cease and desist letter is directed until March 1, 2019 to wrap up its affairs or make arrangements to relocate to areas other than unincorporated Yakima County.  After that date, the County will resume enforcement of its prohibition on marijuana businesses through the judicial process.

The people of unincorporated Yakima County have voted twice to ban recreational-marijuana businesses, and we are representatives of the people,” said Commissioner Mike Leita. “The Board of County Commissioners decided to give the twenty or so remaining businesses a grace period to voluntarily wind down and close their doors. Those businesses that do not cease operations by March 1st will face legal action,” he said.​

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