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Washington State Marijuana Shortage Could Be A Serious Buzzkill

Will Federman |
July 6, 2014 | 10:06 a.m. PDT

Editor-in-Chief

Up to 20 retail stores in Washington state are expected to start selling recreational marijuana to adults on Monday, over year after voters approved a ballot measure legalizing retail sale of cannabis. But tokers could be in for a harsh buzzkill—analysts are predicting the state's entire supply of recreational marijuana could be up in smoke in a matter of hours

Only 79 applicants out of 2,600 have received growing licenses from the state's regulatory body and only two of those growers have submitted samples for testing—a prerequisite to sell at retail—as of one week ago. The restricted supply could see some recreational users paying upward of $30 per gram, according to Reuters.

SEE ALSO: Marijuana Legislation Debate Blazes Across Nation

Consumers looking to get their hands on a strain of Space Needle could be forced to wait weeks for a second crop to hit retail stores. One dispensary owner said it could take "three to five years" to meet market demand.

Reach Editor-in-Chief Will Federman here. And follow him on Twitter.



 

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