After a 4-3 vote on May 17, the Yakima City Council will be lifting the ban on marijuana retailers within city limits.

Kathy Coffey surprised the city council with the motion to draft an act which would overturn the ban back in February. She explained to the Yakima Herald that the loss of her husband to cancer encouraged her to bring up the topic. She also talked about how she had bought black market marijuana in the past for her second husband, former KYVE-TV and KYVE-TV GM Ken Messer, to ease the pain from his radiation therapy.

The Yakima City Council previously voted on a ban for marijuana businesses in January of 2014. Coffey was the only one who voted against the ban.

“I really don’t have much to say besides the fact that I’ve been against it the entire time, and I will continue to be against it,” Yakima Councilwoman Carmen Mendez told KAPP-TV in May.

Mendez was joined by Maureen Adkison and Bill Lover to keep the ban. They were opposed by Coffey, Holly Cousens, Avina Gutierrez, and Dulce Gutierrez.

Ever since marijuana recreational shops opened in July 2014, the City of Yakima has had a ban which made it against the law to function in city limits.  

Because of this ban, the Happy Time marijuana store had to close its doors just three days after opening. Although the store was operating with a state approved license, the business was still in defiance with city code.

“We are excited for our Grand reopening,” Happy Time said on their Facebook page, in regards to news of the ban being lifted.

When talks of potentially lifting the marijuana ban began, owners of The Herbery in Vancouver, Washington, Jim Mullen and Richard Zahler, told the Yakima Herald they looked to expand and bought an old restaurant on Nob Hill Boulevard in December. The state has since granted their company a marijuana retailer’s license which allows them to run in Yakima.

With recreation shops gaining approval, it is now up to the Yakima City Planning Commission to recommend potential locations for marijuana shops.