Marijuana stores across the state of Washington will finally be able to open their doors Tuesday after obtaining licenses during the early hours of Monday morning, ABC News reports.
In total, 24 stores were granted licenses on Monday morning from the Liquor Control Board to operate in Washington. It has been a long 18 months since the legalization of marijuana has come into effect, and so with licenses now in hand, store owners have been scrambling to place orders in time to open their businesses to the public for 8am Tuesday morning.
“We’re pretty stoked,” said John Evich, an investor in Bellingham’s Top Shelf Cannabis, in an interview with the Associated Press. “We haven’t had any sleep in a long time, but we’re excited for the next step.”
Three stores will open on Tuesday, one in Seattle, Bellingham, and Kelso. The frantic pace and excitement leading up to store openings will likely result in large crowds, high prices, and major shortages for the first while. Business analysts predict that pot supplies will sell out within hours tomorrow after stores open.
James Lathrop, owner of Cannabis City in Seattle worked through the night on Sunday in preparation for the week ahead. “I’ve had a long day. It really hasn’t sunk in yet,” he said early Monday. He plans to open his store sometime around noon on Tuesday.
“Know your audience: We’re talking stoners here,” he said. “I’d be mean to say they need to get up at 5 a.m. to get in line.”
Based on regulations attached to the licenses, customers over 21 will be permitted to buy up to an ounce of marijuana, or alternatively, up to 16 ounces of a marijuana-infused product in solid form, or 72 ounces in liquid form.
In the future, state officials expect Washington to accommodate around 300 recreational marijuana shops.
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