— by Lin McNulty —
Effective immediately, the Washington State Liquor Control Board (WSLCB) reports, 24 hours will be added to the closing date of the 30-day marijuana licensing window. Previously, the published closing date was Dec. 19, 2013, at 5:00 p.m. The new closing date of the application window will be Dec. 20, 2013, at 5:00 p.m.
The move is necessary to conform to the rules’ effective date according to the state Code Reviser. The effective date of the rules was Nov. 21. Therefore, the 30-day application window will now close Friday, December 20, 2013, at 5:00 p.m.
Currently, three marijuana producers from Orcas have made application to the state for non-retail licensing. Three different levels of licensing are available, as follows:
Marijuana Producer Tier 1
- $250 Application Fee (Non-Refundable)
- $1000 Annual Fee for Issuance and Renewal
To produce marijuana for sale at wholesale to marijuana processor licensees and to other marijuana producer licensees. Tier 1 allows for two thousand square feet or less of dedicated plant canopy.
Marijuana Producer Tier 2
- $250 Application Fee (Non-Refundable)
- $1000 Annual Fee for Issuance and Renewal
To produce marijuana for sale at wholesale to marijuana processor licensees and to other marijuana producer licensees. Tier 2 allows for between two thousand square feet and ten thousand square feet of dedicated plant canopy.
Marijuana Producer Tier 3
- $250 Application Fee (Non-Refundable)
- $1000 Annual Fee for Issuance and Renewal
To produce marijuana for sale at wholesale to marijuana processor licensees and to other marijuana producer licensees. Tier 3 allows for between ten thousand square feet and thirty thousand square feet of dedicated plant canopy.
Three Orcas Island applicants, along with two from San Juan, are listed with the WSLCB. No applications have yet been filed for Lopez Island. Local applicants are:
FOUR NINETEEN 1/2 — 1002 PINNEO ROAD EASTSOUND
MARIJUANA PRODUCER TIER 1
NW CONNOISSEURS — 82 LAGOON RD DEER HARBOR WA
MARIJUANA PRODUCER TIER 2
BILLY’S GOAT (GREATEST OF ALL THINGS) — 85 SCOTT HILL DR #A ORCAS WA
MARIJUANA PRODUCER TIER 2
San Juan County is authorized a total of three retail outlets, one each on San Juan, Lopez, and Orcas. So far, there are no applications on file for local retailers, but with nearly two weeks left in the application process, and since the Initiative passed in the islands with a 68 percent favorable vote—highest percentage in the state—we might expect that to change as someone steps forward to become the local retailer.
In the event retail applications exceed the allocated amount for a given city or county, the Liquor Control Board will conduct a lottery witnessed by an independent third party. Prior to the lottery, marijuana license investigators, at a minimum, will perform pre-qualifying steps such as verification of location in relation to distance from restricted entities and a personal/criminal history check.
County Council Member Rick Hughes sees this as a potential economic opportunity for our islands. Not that the islands might become a haven for toking and tourism, but that some enterprising producer might produce a strain of marijuana that becomes uber-popular with retailers across the state, providing local jobs and off-island money to our economy.
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Am I the only one who’s still a little surprised by the un-closeting of marijuana? For one thing, we are going to have to agree on terms. “Weed?” “Toke?” (I trust the reporter thoroughly. It’s my reaction that gives me pause, and it’s interesting.) I’ve been comfortable with the decriminalization concept for years, but now that commercialization is here and has a local address, it’s challenging. Tune in!