WSLCB Releases the List of Acceptable Pesticide Products

The Washington State Liquor Control Board and the Washington State Department of Agriculture recently released their list of acceptable pesticide products that may be used to produce recreational marijuana. Any grower caught using an unauthorized pesticide is in violation of WAC 314-55-520 and could result in the cancelation of their license.

According to WAC 314-55-010(13), a pesticide is "any substance or mixture of substances intended to prevent, destroy, control, repel, or mitigate any insect, rodent, snail, slug, fungus, weed, and any other form of plant or animal life or virus, except virus on or in a living person or other animal which is normally considered to be a pest, and any substance or mixture of substances intended to be used as a plant regulator, defoliant, or desiccant; and any spray adjuvant."

It is important for everyone involved in the marijuana production chain to understand the pesticide rules and the acceptable pesticides that may be used. The WSDA recommends that pesticides be crosschecked with the over 200 pesticides that are allowed to be used in marijuana production.

You can view the preliminary list of over 200 pesticides registered by WDSA by visiting their online database.

Legal Marijuana Expected to Bring in $1.4 Billion in Sales This Year

In the United States this year, the legal marijuana market will post about $1.43 billion in sales, and according to a report released by ArcView Market Research, the 2014 market could boast an increase of 64 percent, up to $2.34 billion. The San Francisco-based research company, formerly known as See Change Research, released its second edition of the State of Legal Marijuana Markets Report in November. The report is based on more than 400 surveys and interviews of cannabis retailers, cultivators, processors and industry leaders.

Steve Berg, editor of the ArcView report, said that even though there are some risks and uncertainties, those who understand the legal marijuana market have the opportunity to profit greatly from its rapid growth.

The Washington State Liquor Control Board is presently setting up a system for deciding who gets retail licenses to sell marijuana and be part of the combined medical and recreational marijuana market of $271 million forecast for 2014.

The ArcView report states that California is the largest legal cannabis market in the country with $980 million in sales. Nationwide, it is estimated that over 590,000 customers will have purchased cannabis legally from a retailer in 2013. The report goes on to project that, over the next five years, 14 more states will legalize adult use and two more states will legalize medical use. The research also predicts that these new markets plus growth in existing markets will contribute to a $10.2 billion annual market potential by 2018.

Marijuana Entrepreneurs in Washington Pitch Ideas to Investors

Entrepreneurs and investors in Washington and Colorado are excited about a market full of opportunities stemming from the legalization of recreational marijuana in those states. In Seattle, on November 5, thirteen companies pitched business ideas to more than sixty investors from the ArcView Investor Network, a firm that connects entrepreneurs with those interested in financially backing legal marijuana business ideas. Some of the local companies that pitched include, Mellow Mood, a Portland-based art glass pipe chain, and Rainier Wholesale, a Seattle-based company looking to build an efficient and carbon-free marijuana production plant.

ArcView held a similar meeting in Denver this past September where investors handed out more than $1.7 million for a social networking app for cannabis users, a leading Colorado cannabis retailer, and a security company for legal cannabis businesses, among other business ideas.

Being the first states to legalize marijuana sales, Washington and Colorado are expected to be a test case for other states considering legalization. Washington has recently adopted rules governing marijuana sales into law, and Colorado could see regulated stores open as soon as January 1, 2014. 

ArcView believes that the legal marijuana industry could surpass the smartphone market in terms of growth and recently released a market research report expressing the optimistic view. At least one Seattle-based startup is already seeing a positive change in their cash flow. Leafly, a crowd-sourced review platform for marijuana strains, said that people thought they were crazy when they started, but now they just sit back and wait for the investors to come to them.

Washington's New Pot Tourism Industry Still Has Questions to Answer

Tourism in Washington state is a nearly $6 billion a year business, that creates jobs for more than 53,500 people in the Seattle area. People visit Washington for the scenery, fresh produce, microbrews, fine wines, professional sports, and entertainment. Now, thanks to legalized marijuana, there is a whole new facet to Washington tourism.

Pete Holmes and the City Attorney’s office have given their blessing to allowing tourists to come to Seattle with the express purpose of getting high legally. They also support the state Liquor Control Board’s decision to permit nonresidents to purchase one ounce of marijuana at a retail store. Holmes goes on to clarify that they don’t want to see retailers “oversell” to tourists, increasing the likelihood that marijuana could be carried back across state lines, which would draw scrutiny from the feds.

Some marijuana tourism issues still need to be ironed out though. Among those issues are how the state will determine public consumption and whether or not dedicated marijuana cafes will be permitted. In addition, how will private sector tourism businesses, such as hotels, determine on-site usage?

Some establishments have tried to incorporate “private clubs” in their facilities to allow customers to use marijuana even though it is illegal to use pot in public places. The state Liquor Control Board, however, wants to ban any business with a liquor license from allowing marijuana use on their premises, citing possible impaired driving issues.  Some compromise will have to be reached. After all, if adult tourists are allowed to purchase marijuana without a place to smoke it, it will be difficult to add legal marijuana to Washington’s list of tourist attractions.

Washington Drivers: Beware When Crossing State Lines

Changes in Washington State marijuana laws may put residents on the wrong side of the road when they cross state lines and travel to neighboring Idaho, Oregon and Canada. State’s marijuana changes are bound to have far-reaching implications across a wide variety of law-enforcement bodies and jurisdictions where pot is still illegal. As a result, Washington drivers crossing the perimeter of their state may find themselves victims of profiling.

Case in point: On a recent drive through Idaho, a journalist driving a vehicle bearing a Washington State license plate was pulled over after his car swerved across the line on the highway for just a second. The officer who pulled him over asked if he was driving impaired. The officer never mentioned alcohol or prescription drugs, which are rapidly becoming the number one reason for impaired driving. The officer, instead, focused on only one thing-marijuana.

A public information officer with the Idaho State police said that their state officers are aware of the many intoxicants they have to deal with, but stopped short of saying they put an emphasis on marijuana coming from Washington.

Profiling, even when drawn from the context of doing good, generally betrays that goodness. It becomes a prejudice in action, the most basic form of discrimination. No one wishes to experience discrimination, and the costs of profiling will vary from one individual to the next. However, it may be the price Washingtonians will be forced to pay for being the first to test the waters of legalized marijuana.