A neighborhood group suing Uncle Ike’s Pot Shop has withdrawn its lawsuit.
The neighborhood group suing Uncle Ike’s Pot Shop in Seattle’s Central District has withdrawn the suit, quietly ending the legal battle.
Respect the Central District had filed a suit, along with Mount Calvary Christian Center, a church adjacent to the pot store. The lawsuit claimed that Uncle Ike’s was in violation of state distance rules for marijuana businesses because it was about 250 feet from the church’s teen center.
After judges dismissed a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against Uncle Ike’s, the church dropped out of the lawsuit. Both measures would have temporarily prevented Uncle Ike’s from operating.
Knoll Lowney, a lawyer representing the neighborhood group, said it was disappointed when the church left the lawsuit, and his clients decided to end the fight.
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“Our primary purpose was to support the church,” Lowney said.
Uncle Ike’s owner Ian Eisenberg said he was pleased the “major distraction” was over. He said he spent “an obnoxious amount” of money on lawyers.
“We had to gear up for a full-blown lawsuit even though it didn’t go anywhere,” Eisenberg said. “I thought it was meritless when they filed suit. I’m glad they finally dismissed it.”