I have always loved Seattle. Growing up in Oregon, I have traveled to Seattle numerous times with friends and family. Before Bo Jackson ran over Brian Bozworth, I was a huge Seattle Seahawks fan, and my dad took me to games at the King Dome a lot. I always enjoyed walking around Seattle before and after games and seeing all of the typical tourist destinations.
Seattle will no doubt get even cooler once legal recreational marijuana sales start here soon. There is one particular area of Seattle that will be home to the largest concentration of stores according to the lottery results. The Industrial District area, just South of Downtown, will be home to as many as eight stores. This concentration of retail outlets is already resulting in nicknames for the area, including ‘Little Amsterdam.’ Per High Above Seattle:
Most of the Industrial District recreational marijuana lottery winners are concentrated in two main areas. One area is at the corner of 4th Avenue South and S. lander Street, just around the corner from the SODO light rail station; and the other area is on 1st Ave South, mainly south of S. Lander Street.
Possible recreational marijuana stores aside, the area is already home to 4 medical marijuana stores. If all retail marijuana applicants are okayed by the Washington State Liquor Control Board, there could be a total of 12 recreational and medical marijuana dispensaries in the area. In addition to the weed stores, there is already a cannabis analysis laboratory, a hydroponics equipment store, and headquarters of the world famous cannabis food truck: Magic Butter.
It’s not surprising that the Industrial District will be home to the highest concentration of retail outlets. Zoning rules for Washington’s legal marijuana industry limit where stores can open. Stores have to be a certain distance away from certain areas, leaving industrial areas the logical home for stores because they are away from schools and other establishments.
While some people don’t like industrial areas because they are ugly, I personally think it’s a great idea. The Industrial District is in desperate need of revitalization, and I’m happy that the marijuana industry is going to lead those efforts. It reminds me of the Bay Area in California, where the marijuana industry has taken a once dilapidated part of town and cleaned it up. It’s a great example of how the marijuana industry helps communities.
