Beginning next year, as many as 21 marijuana retail stores could be open for business in Seattle — and that's sparked a contentious debate over where these stores can be located.
State rules mandate that retail stores must be 1,000 feet from schools, public parks, libraries and even transit centers. That leaves very few places for pot stores to open. According to the city's preliminary map, in nearly all of central Seattle (including Capitol Hill, First Hill and the Central Area), there are very few places that pot retailers will be able to open up. One of those places is the corner of 23rd Avenue and E Union Street.