Government and Politics

Washington Ledge

Dispatches from public radio's correspondent at the Washington Legislature. Austin Jenkins is the Olympia correspondent for the Northwest News Network. You can also see Austin on television as host of TVW's (the C–SPAN of Washington State) weekly public affairs program "Inside Olympia."

License Application Window To Open For Medical Marijuana Dispensaries In Washington

NWNews | By Austin Jenkins

Published October 9, 2015 at 5:32 PM PDT

Medical marijuana dispensaries in Washington state will have to comply with the state's recreational pot regulations.

The license application window opens Monday for medical marijuana dispensaries in Washington state that want to continue to operate.

A new state law requires Washington’s largely unregulated medical marijuana industry to comply with the state’s regulated recreational pot rules.

Not all dispensaries will qualify and the state will prioritize applicants based on a variety of factors. Those include: a record of paying taxes, no criminal history, as well as store location.

While the license application period is opening now, the new regulatory structure won’t actually take effect until next July.

It’s estimated there are more than 1,000 medical marijuana dispensaries in Washington. By comparison, the state has licensed just over 200 recreational pot shops.