UPDATE: You may purchase legal weed at Seattle marijuana stores.
The date has been set. Mark it on your calendar. The state of Washington has scheduled a lottery for retail marijuana licenses to be held between the 21 and 25th of April. The wait is almost over as the Liquor Control Board adopted the plan this week.
Assisted by Washington State University, and the Washington Lottery, a random order will be generated which will lead to the eventual winners. Once the Seattle marijuana stores in Washington state are officially licensed, they will have just over 2 months to set up business.
Some former medical marijuana shops who plan on selling recreationally will most likely have a smoother and easier time transitioning than legal cannabis shops starting from scratch. While two months may seem like ample time, most shops will most likely need ever bit of it to make sure they are prepared for the first day of sales.
More than 2000 applications for retail cannabis licenses were turned in at the end of last year. Out of the 2000 applicants, only 334 licenses will awarded. That means there is less than a 20% chance of legally operating a recreational marijuana store in Washington State. But, according to the Washington State Liquor Control Board, as many as half of the applicants are no longer being considered for various reasons.
If this is the case, then the chances of being issued a legal marijuana license jumps to more than 30%. While these odds are not very favorable, especially considering some of the applicants put in a lot of money and work, they will have a way better chance than most lotteries – especially the Washington State Lottery.
