The number of prospective marijuana retailers in Kitsap County jumped to 44 as the 30-day application period came to a close last week.
The state Liquor Control Board released fresh batch of numbers on recreational marijuana business license applications Tuesday. The count may not be final as the state hasn’t finished processing all the submissions yet. More than 3,000 applications have been filed for growing, processing and selling pot in Washington.
Now the culling begins. Only 10 retail shops will be allowed in Kitsap, including two in Bremerton and one on Bainbridge Island.
The Liquor Control Board will investigate the background of each applicant, and review their operation plan and location for compliance with the adopted rules for I-502 implementation. The state will notify counties and cities of pending applications. Local jurisdictions will have 20 days to respond with any objections or support. A lottery system will be used to grant licenses in places like Bremerton, where there are more applications than allowable licenses.
Here’s the updated list of retail applicants for Kitsap (map embedded above):
Here are the processing applications (map here):
Here are the producer applications (map
here):
The government shouldn’t be in the business of picking winners and losers in business. We should create some strict rules for operating these businesses and let as many open as can meet the requirements and pay for the license. Then let the consumers decide which business will succeed. We should be trying to remove government control over our lives, not adding more layers of it.
The 7662 Buckthorn location should be disqualified for zoning issues. That’s a residential area. Meaning it doesn’t have off street parking, traffic control, and it’s in a close proximity to two schools and daycare facilities. There’s already enough crime in that area, along with the usual Bremerton drunk drivers.