Jacob Redmond
Well-Known Member
Washington authorities are accepting applications for new marijuana retail licenses. Gone are the license quotas and lotteries used to award licenses when marijuana was first legalized. Now, there are no limits on the number of licenses to be granted.
When I-502 was first implemented, state regulators made a map, with a certain number of marijuana stores anticipated in each city or county. Licenses were highly sought after. But when state legislators opened the licensing process to medical marijuana businesses in the spring, they lifted those quotas.
Preeti Shridhar is a spokeswoman for the city of Renton. She said the Liquor and Cannabis Board alerted cities to this change in September.
"They will be accepting licenses for retail marijuana but will no longer be limiting the number of stores per jurisdiction," Shridhar said.
Without limits from state regulators, she said Renton had to decide for itself how many marijuana businesses to host.
"So Renton came up with interim zoning to cap at five," two more than the original quota, Shridhar said. "And at the same time not overwhelming the market overnight with no limitations."
She said that cap means some medical marijuana businesses in Renton will have to close. Meanwhile, state regulators said they're no longer required to limit the marijuana market, but they can do so.
An upcoming report from the RAND Corporation will estimate how much marijuana Washington residents are consuming.
Liquor and Cannabis Board spokesman Mikhail Carpenter said those numbers will help guide his agency's decision on how many licenses to grant.
"Estimating the size of that market will help inform the amount of retail licenses that are issued," Carpenter said. "While there is presently no cap, we have also been very upfront about the fact that we may shut it off."
Carpenter said there's no deadline to seek a license; his agency has received about 800 applications so far. The first new licenses could be approved sometime in spring of 2016.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Washington Regulators Lift Quotas For Cannabis Stores
Author: Amy Radil
Photo Credit: Anthony Bolante
Website: Northwest Public Radio
When I-502 was first implemented, state regulators made a map, with a certain number of marijuana stores anticipated in each city or county. Licenses were highly sought after. But when state legislators opened the licensing process to medical marijuana businesses in the spring, they lifted those quotas.
Preeti Shridhar is a spokeswoman for the city of Renton. She said the Liquor and Cannabis Board alerted cities to this change in September.
"They will be accepting licenses for retail marijuana but will no longer be limiting the number of stores per jurisdiction," Shridhar said.
Without limits from state regulators, she said Renton had to decide for itself how many marijuana businesses to host.
"So Renton came up with interim zoning to cap at five," two more than the original quota, Shridhar said. "And at the same time not overwhelming the market overnight with no limitations."
She said that cap means some medical marijuana businesses in Renton will have to close. Meanwhile, state regulators said they're no longer required to limit the marijuana market, but they can do so.
An upcoming report from the RAND Corporation will estimate how much marijuana Washington residents are consuming.
Liquor and Cannabis Board spokesman Mikhail Carpenter said those numbers will help guide his agency's decision on how many licenses to grant.
"Estimating the size of that market will help inform the amount of retail licenses that are issued," Carpenter said. "While there is presently no cap, we have also been very upfront about the fact that we may shut it off."
Carpenter said there's no deadline to seek a license; his agency has received about 800 applications so far. The first new licenses could be approved sometime in spring of 2016.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Washington Regulators Lift Quotas For Cannabis Stores
Author: Amy Radil
Photo Credit: Anthony Bolante
Website: Northwest Public Radio
