By Ed Ronco

nwpr.org

 

More than 200 new retail licenses for marijuana stores could become available in Washington state. It’s an effort to expand access for medical marijuana patients.

The Liquor and Cannabis Board plans to up the cap from 334 to 556 available licenses. That number is based on a report from the firm BOTEC Analysis, looking at the size of Washington’s medical cannabis market.

Brian Smith is a spokesperson for the Liquor and Cannabis Board. He said the board will act on the recommendations in early January.

“The reason why we’re putting this information out now is because cities and our applicants are clamoring for that number,” Smith said. “Because we just got the BOTEC report, we were able to apply our formula and issue the news, so people know what to expect and can take action going forward.”

Earlier this year, state lawmakers put medical pot into the same marketplace as recreational marijuana. There were concerns that medical marijuana patients would have trouble accessing pot, as dispensaries close in favor of more tightly regulated retail stores. Exactly where the new licenses will be distributed will be published as soon as January on the board’s website, lcb.wa.gov.