Legal cannabis sales have been occurring in Washington State since early July. Implementation of a legal cannabis licensing system took seven months longer to roll out in Washington compared to Colorado. As of the writing of this article, there is still just one legal recreational cannabis store in Seattle.
It appears that some licenses in Washington could be in jeopardy, further delaying outlets from opening. Per King 5:
Washington state is warning dozens of people who applied to run legal marijuana shops that their chance of getting a license is in jeopardy.
The Liquor Control Board on Wednesday began sending letters to 56 businesses around the state, giving them 60 days to schedule an interview with a licensing inspector.
The board says most of those businesses scored lucky numbers in lotteries conducted in April – putting them in a good position to win a coveted marijuana retail license – but they haven’t moved forward with their applications since then.
There are various reasons why the applications haven’t been followed through on. Perhaps some people changed their minds, or didn’t have the resources to actually move past the licensing phase. Others maybe had problems finding a facility to fit their needs. Who knows? Applications that are denied in a couple of months will create new opportunities for new applicants that want to apply and pick up the license.
