Robert Celt
New Member
As the March 31 deadline approaches for retail marijuana hopefuls to apply for licenses, some local medical dispensary owners say they feel left behind by a law that merges the medical and retail industries.
"We thought medical wouldn't be messed with, that medical would be intact," said Eric Zeid, owner of Swinging Bridges in Alger. "They destroyed it."
The Cannabis Patient Protection Act, which was passed last year, forces medical shops to operate under the same parameters as retail stores by July 1. That means medical dispensary owners such as Zeid had to get retail licenses or shut down.
To accommodate the change, the state Liquor and Cannabis Board reopened its application process for retail licenses and expanded the state's allotment of licenses from 334 to 556.
The allotment increase was to make way for medical dispensaries to apply for retail licenses.
After a review of Zeid's application, he was deemed a priority three candidate for a license – the lowest priority. His medical shop has been open for nearly two years, he said.
Priority three is the equivalent to someone off the street applying for a license, said Liquor and Cannabis Board spokesman Mikhail Carpenter.
Because the priority system is based on how long the applicants have operated their business, if they've paid taxes and if they have held business licenses, existing retail stores are getting additional licenses while medical stores are left waiting.
Joel Martin, co-owner of 221 and 221Rx in Conway, said his retail shop has already been awarded an additional license in Snohomish County. His medical shop, 221Rx, was labeled a priority two and hasn't been awarded a license.
"They made these standards so strict and changed those standards along the way that they are choking out the dispensaries," Martin said.
He's anticipating having to shut down 221Rx.
Skagit 419 co-owner Claude Hayes said he'll likely have to shut down his medical shop on Highway 20 after learning of his priority three status.
"There's no way to keep it open," he said.
Zeid said he hasn't heard anything from the board since learning of his designation.
"We'll be shut down," Zeid said.
After the March 31 application deadline, the Liquor and Cannabis Board may begin awarding lower priority candidates, Carpenter said. Carpenter did not provide a timeline for that process.
Skagit County's marijuana retail allotment went from 10 to 20 in January. Seven retail stores are currently open.
There are 21 license applications that are pending for Skagit County, with a possible 13 to go around. There are 1,371 licenses pending statewide.
Marijuana retail stores can also apply for medical marijuana endorsements, allowing those stores to sell more potent types of marijuana products to customers with medical marijuana cards.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: WA: Licensing Causing Concern For Medical Marijuana Dispensaries
Author: Aaron Weinburg
Photo Credit: None found
Website: goskagit
"We thought medical wouldn't be messed with, that medical would be intact," said Eric Zeid, owner of Swinging Bridges in Alger. "They destroyed it."
The Cannabis Patient Protection Act, which was passed last year, forces medical shops to operate under the same parameters as retail stores by July 1. That means medical dispensary owners such as Zeid had to get retail licenses or shut down.
To accommodate the change, the state Liquor and Cannabis Board reopened its application process for retail licenses and expanded the state's allotment of licenses from 334 to 556.
The allotment increase was to make way for medical dispensaries to apply for retail licenses.
After a review of Zeid's application, he was deemed a priority three candidate for a license – the lowest priority. His medical shop has been open for nearly two years, he said.
Priority three is the equivalent to someone off the street applying for a license, said Liquor and Cannabis Board spokesman Mikhail Carpenter.
Because the priority system is based on how long the applicants have operated their business, if they've paid taxes and if they have held business licenses, existing retail stores are getting additional licenses while medical stores are left waiting.
Joel Martin, co-owner of 221 and 221Rx in Conway, said his retail shop has already been awarded an additional license in Snohomish County. His medical shop, 221Rx, was labeled a priority two and hasn't been awarded a license.
"They made these standards so strict and changed those standards along the way that they are choking out the dispensaries," Martin said.
He's anticipating having to shut down 221Rx.
Skagit 419 co-owner Claude Hayes said he'll likely have to shut down his medical shop on Highway 20 after learning of his priority three status.
"There's no way to keep it open," he said.
Zeid said he hasn't heard anything from the board since learning of his designation.
"We'll be shut down," Zeid said.
After the March 31 application deadline, the Liquor and Cannabis Board may begin awarding lower priority candidates, Carpenter said. Carpenter did not provide a timeline for that process.
Skagit County's marijuana retail allotment went from 10 to 20 in January. Seven retail stores are currently open.
There are 21 license applications that are pending for Skagit County, with a possible 13 to go around. There are 1,371 licenses pending statewide.
Marijuana retail stores can also apply for medical marijuana endorsements, allowing those stores to sell more potent types of marijuana products to customers with medical marijuana cards.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: WA: Licensing Causing Concern For Medical Marijuana Dispensaries
Author: Aaron Weinburg
Photo Credit: None found
Website: goskagit
