As WA marijuana shops see more armed robberies, owners and politicians say there is a simple solution

When the Snohomish County dispensary Dexter Warren worked at was robbed last year, four men simply walked in. When one of those men hit him in the face with a pistol and demanded he open the safe, the cash-based business had thousands of dollars on hand, he said.

By the time law enforcement arrived 20 minutes later, the men had already left with money and merchandise, said then-assistant manager Warren.

On Saturday, a man working at a Tacoma cannabis retailer was shot, the third fatality related to a cannabis shop robbery within four days. On Wednesday and Thursday, two men each accused of robbing or attempting to rob a retail cannabis store were shot in separate incidents in Bellevue and Covington.

In recent months, Washington retail marijuana store owners, industry leaders and politicians have said armed robberies at pot shops have increased, endangering employees, and have emphasized that solutions are needed at both the statewide and federal levels.

While robberies at retail marijuana stores in Washington are not formally tracked statewide, the Craft Cannabis Coalition, which represents over 50 retail stores in the state, keeps an informal tally with reports from members, said the association’s executive director, Adán Espino. It is possible some robberies are missing from the association’s tally.

According to the association’s count, there have been around 67 armed robberies so far in 2022. In 2021 and 2020, the association counted 34 and 27 armed robberies. [Read More @ The Seattle Times]