by Jack Mayne Since the one retail pot store in Des Moines is “raking in the money,” a realtor came to the City Council to seek an additional opportunity for another store in the city limits and the Council agreed to study the matter. Des Moines realtor Tom Roush asked the city to consider the possibility of a second store, noting that he personally voted against the legalization of pot but, on behalf of a client, was seeking Council help. He has a “wealthy Chinese investor with a lot of money” as a client who wants to buy the building next to the new Four Points by Sheraton Hotel on Pacific Highway South to house a second marijuana store “because he sees the volume of business down at your only location on the south side of the Kent-Des Moines Road.” Making millions Roush said the Council must be “well aware of the millions of dollars of sales that store is generating.” The proposal would eliminate a body repair shop and bring in tax revenue to the city, he said. “You can’t possibly believe the number of calls I get for this type of business – I wish all my real estate was this way,” he said. Asked by Councilmember Dave Kaplan if there were other licenses the city could get, Assistant City Attorney Tim George said it appear the city will get “one more license” and there is a county “at large” license that could be located in the city. Kaplan said “it may be worthwhile” to take a look at additional licenses. Councilmember Melissa Musser said the current store on Pacific Highway has been “a good neighbor” and have well managed and operated the store. “It is not an industry that is going to go away soon,” she said. Kaplan moved and the Council approved that the Council’s finance committee consider the request for an additional license in the city. Citizens honored Nadine Byers, Susan Corey, Deana Rader and Eileen Severns were given certificates by Mayor Matt Pina honoring their service on advisory committees. Councilmember Melissa Musser said the four women worked very hard. “Thank you all for being such kind, and genuine and caring people,” Musser told the four women. Volunteers Honored_DM]]>

18 replies on “Des Moines City Council will explore additional retail marijuana store”

  1. Forgive my ignorance, but does anyone know what type of revenue this brings? Is it just taxes from owning the building or do we get revenue off their sales?

  2. Next to the new Sheraton? I would think the Council would talk to them before allowing this next to the hotel.

    1. I’m wondering, why the thumbs down on consulting nearby businesses? I would think that if we were business owners, we would appreciate the consideration.

  3. So, is this Des Moines’ new cottage industry? While other neighboring cities are actively seeking to ban these establishments from their borders, Des Moines is doubling down (and maybe even tripling-down).
    Has the city become so pathetic under the past two mayors (Kaplan and Sheckler) that they can only attract the lowest common denominators now (Dollar Stores, Murderers, and now Pot Stores)? What is next, legalized “massage parlors” employing trafficked humans?
    Is this what we’ve become? A rotting, stinking cesspool? FIX THIS (new) MAYOR PINA ! FIX IT !

    1. I like how one moron who commented here and compared pot stores to murderers(fear monger much)?…….It’s also funny how they put booze in our grocery stores for much easier minor access. But everyone has a big hissy fit over a little pot store. Alcohol is 10 times more deadly and ruins more lives than heroin, crack, and the evil little green plant combined. It’s called the price of freedom………..Don’t like it MOVE

      1. Charles, like I’m telling my patient’s – Just because it is legal doesn’t mean it it good for you.

    2. @ChuckW. Maybe your mind is a bit addled with the P-0-T, so I’ll tie it all together for you…
      Des Moines has had TWO murders in the past few weeks. They occurred just blocks from the proposed Weed store. While I did not compare the murders to pot per-se as you contend, I did call attention to what DM is becoming.
      The Council’s legislative actions are encouraging businesses which cater to society’s degradation. The coarsening (not mellowing) of our city’s culture, is evidenced by the TWO murders in such a short time span (BTW. up 100% from last year already). It will get worse from here I assure you.
      Do you suppose adding more of this kind of establishment to DM, along with more businesses associated with Skid Row, increases or reduces crime? Will the marginal increase in tax revenues for these kinds of businesses be more than the cost of the extra police officers needed to just keep crime rates static (though outrageously high already)? Oh, and remember, there are no plans to add cops for more than a year, thanks to the emphasis on Parks & Rec over public safety.
      While I may generally agree with you about the deleterious effects of alcohol on society, making Des Moines the SouthCenter for Marijuana is certainly not the answer, and will make the DM a municipality of ill repute. Des Moines needs to focus on its competitive advantages (Highline College, the Marina and its views of Puget Sound), not attracting more ghetto pathologies.

      1. You must be a little high yourself if you believe that the two alleged murders that occurred a couple of blocks from the proposed sight is due to a pot shop that doesn’t even exist there yet? LMFAO!
        I would also say that legal pot stores has ZERO effect on crime..Prohibition=more crime…..Legalization is putting black market dealers out of business This way at least the public benefits not the thug dealers that have been dealing illegally for years.
        So delete Refer Madness from your Netflix Que and deal with the fact that the majority of the people have spoken and Pot is legal now………

      2. I think you would be surprised at how many of your working class neighbors use Greenside or somewhere else for that matter. I think some competition would good as there is not another shop within 5 miles.

  4. Really? Very bad idea, I know we have a long history (remember The End of the Trail) with drug and drug paraphernalia, I for one, want to make Des Moines a healthier and more wholesome community.

  5. WOW!
    So, let me get this straight…..increasing the number of recreational marijuana stores in Des Moines is a good idea but HELL NO to the VC WOODMONT REVOVERY CENTER??
    Is everyone in this town already high? Do we need to have the water tested?
    Everyone seems to have missed the part in the VC plan that would have brought 250 well paying jobs in the healthcare industry here along with much needed services. Psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, nurses, doctors, administrators, therapists and on and on and on.
    Still waiting for the woodmonters to show us all how “supportive” they are of these much needed and critical services cuz you know, it was just the location. Uh-huh.
    Nope, it’s always about the money. They are happy to take the taxes from the pot sales. Even though this could very well increase the number of people who need publicly funded addiction services. You know…the kind of services that all you NIMBYs fight.
    Round of applause to all the “woodmonters” who are now openly endorsing this idea of selling pot here as a way to revitalize our economy…you can see it on their FB page. Oh. And they fancy themselves “activists” who have somehow saved our children.

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