Spokane, Washington Will Have the First Retail Marijuana Store in the State
Kouchlock Productions will be the first recreational marijuana store in Washington state. Owner Scott O’Neil will open his doors on July 1, over a year and a half since voters made recreational pot legal in the state.
Washington voters passed legal recreational marijuana in the November of 2012 election, the same election year that voters in Colorado did the same. But while Colorado has had recreational pot shops open since January 1, it has taken until now for Washington’s Liquor Control Board to finally give the green light to the first store.
Supply will be short for Washington’s lone pot shop. The Liquor Control Board allowed growing to start just four months ago – only enough time for two grow cycles to complete.
Considering there is one store and not a lot of pot, prices will be high and there will be limits imposed on customers until more weed can be harvested. O’Neil told KREM news in Spokane that customers would probably be able to get an eighth of an ounce at most.
New pot shops will open in a staggered roll out as the government approves a handful at a time. It will not be like January 1 was in Colorado, when a good number of stores all opened on that first day of sales in the state to a celebratory crowd of customers.
During the first few months of recreational sales in Washington, buyers can expect to see high prices for pot compared to Colorado. With new shops opening a few at a time,, limited supply, and higher state taxes on marijuana, the Washington retail cannabis market price will be notably higher. But as more shops open and new grow operations harvest their crops, prices will eventually come down.
The supporters of legal recreational marijuana in Washington state have been watching Coloradans enjoy their new industry for six months while waiting for theirs to start. The slow, deliberate roll out in Washington has been a “major buzzkill”. This first sign of the new industry is a real reason for them to celebrate.
