Stores could open in June Liquor board reviews 47 county marijuana applicants

According to the state Liquor Control Board, Whitman County has 11 applications for marijuana retail outlets, 20 marijuana producer applications and 16 marijuana processor applications.

“A lot of these might not meet the criteria,” said Brian Smith, public communications officer with the state Liquor Control Board.

When people apply for a license to produce, process or sell marijuana, the application goes through the Liquor Control Board who notifies the local authority.

Whitman County commissioners recently looked at an application from Three G Farms near Endicott and unanimously chose to send it on to the state without any acknowledgment.

Smith said a local authority has 20 days to respond or make an objection to an application.

Applications are then reviewed by the state, making sure an applicant isn’t within 1,000 feet of where children congregate, be it a school, library or daycare. The state also does criminal background checks and the applicant must be a resident. The state also must approve of the location.

If there’s any question about the location, state officials use a GIS tool to verify the location or may even go to the location to check on it.

Once all the paperwork is in, the application is processed by the state board.

Smith said the state has no limit on the number of marijuana producers or processors, but the limit for the number of retailers is 334 statewide, with Whitman County allocated to four stores, three in Pullman and one at large.

If all the criteria is met, the Liquor Control Board will hold a lottery to decide which retail outlet applicants will be licensed. Smith said the board is working with the state lottery on the details.

Smith said the board anticipates that licenses will begin to be issued in late February or early March, with producers and processors receiving licenses first, followed by retailers. He said stores could be open by June.