It’s Just Weed, People. It’s Just Weed

The state announced what retailers won the marijuana license lottery today. Kennewick gets five licenses. Walla Walla gets three, Moses Lake gets five. PROSSER gets 3! What does Prosser need with THREE?! And Pasco? Not on the list.
Kennewick retailers likely to receive a marijuana license:

Pasco didn't make the list because there were fewer applicants than available licenses, so no lottery was necessary. It probably didn't have anything to do with Pasco city wanting to ban pot stores anyway.

It seems odd that Pasco is thumbing its nose at the voters who were in favor of I-502. But Pasco city officials are firing a preemptive strike putting the city on track to be the first in the Tri-Cities to ban recreational pot sales. The Pasco City Council directed their planning commission to begin drafting a city wide ban that could go into effect before pot stores open statewide.

Bottom line: Pot is still way too hot of an issue to deal with it head on....it's the Tri-Cities way, duck and cover.

Not a dang thing will be decided until after the November elections. You mark my words.

Everyone is holding their breath (I did not inhale) until Seattle moves first in the direction it's going to go under the auspices of the state's liquor control board. The longer our local communities pussy foot around with what is surely an inevitable outcome, the more revenue they will be missing out on to line the city coffers. Do they think this industry is new? It has been very profitable for a very long time and just because people are now willingly coming out of the darkness to have no fear of retribution if they choose to partake, that doesn't mean everyone's going to go all legit right away.

Do it right. But move forward and get it done. The will of the people trumps those elected who think they know better than those who voted for the initiative and ultimately, voted for the legislators themselves.

Just for kicks, here are the two biggest pot stories in the news today:

13-year-olds busted for adding pot to their cookies in Home Economics!
Four Iowa teens have been charged by police after classmates snitched on them. Cookies were on the menu in Home Ec so the boys decided to add an extra ingredient.

Colorado's legislature puts the brakes on a marijuana credit union.
Remember how pot businesses in Colorado are not allowed to use banks because it's "dirty money"? Well, Colorado state almost passed a law permitting an uninsured credit union for marijuana retailers so they don't have to deal exclusively in cash. Apparently inventing a new banking system is tricky and the state said it needs more time to study the issue.