Spokannabist, august 26, 2016

SPOKANNABIST Your Y our Guide Guide ttoo M Marijuana ariijuana iin nW Washington ashington S State tate

BEST PRACTICES

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LABELS

PRODUCERS PONDER FUTURE

CHEF SHARES SECRETS

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Spokannabist is a product of The Spokesman−Review’s marketing division. • Friday, August 26, 2016

Spokannabist is a product of The Spokesman−Review’s marketing division. • Friday, August 26, 2016

Your pot product must contain certain labels

By TRICIA JO WEBSTER Marketing Correspondent

Walking into a cannabis store for the first time can be exciting.

Colorful pipes and other interesting accoutrements glisten on the shelves. Rows of display cases feature eye-catching packages of all sorts of items to eat, smoke, or enjoy in other ways.

But if you don’t know what you’re looking for, it can also be intimidating, especially when you consider that each of these packages containing marijuana product also must carry a label with important and specific information about what you’re putting in your body.

Washington requires marijuana producers to make quality assurance test results available to any processor who purchases their product, and must label each lot of marijuana with a lot number, a UBI number and a product weight.

The state also requires all products containing marijuana to have consistent and compliant labels that include information about manufacture and best-by dates; the name and UBI number of the licensees that produced, processed and sold the marijuana products; and a statement that discloses all pesticides applied to the plants and growing medium during production. Any solvents must be listed as well.

A list of all ingredients and major food allergens, individual serving size, number of servings within the unit and total milligrams of total THC, Delta 9 and CBD must be listed on the labels, too.

The labels satisfy legal requirements, and also are part of a quality control effort to raise the industry beyond the illegal days when users had to trust whatever their seller had to offer.

Once you get the hang of what to read, it’s not unlike a nutrition label on your favorite breakfast cereal. As you start to study the topic

doses, like 5 mg, and gradually work their way up to a larger dose.

“If you hit it so hard your first time that you’re out of your mind, you’re not going to have a good experience, and likely won’t look forward to doing it again,” Calvert said.

People with questions about different terms on labels and different percentages are encouraged to spend time with a budtender.

Tell them what you want to feel and ask them what they like. Much like a favorite bartender, these people have been hired because of their advanced knowledge and ability to help people find the right item for their experience and interests.

more, you’ll start to recognize some terms but still may not be clear whether some of the complicated names are healthy or unhealthy for you.

This is where budtenders can come in handy.

Sam Calvert, who owns Green Star Cannabis in Spokane, has created an easy color-coded system that lets shoppers know if you’re looking at a sativa strain (generally energetic/uplifting), an indica strain (generally relaxing/calming), or a hybrid (varying reactions, and usually found in many edibles). Calvert suggests newcomers look for products with smaller serving sizes/

Marijuana and marijuana-infused products are legal for Washington residents 21 years and older. It has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming. It can impair concentration, coordination and judgment.

There may be health risks associated with consumption.

All cannabis products sold in Washington require complex labeling including the producer, strain, retailer, THC percentage, a product bar code and a safety warning. Center photo by Tricia Jo Webster, above photo by Joe Butler.

Email us at

spokannabist@spokesman.com with story ideas or to advertise.

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COLUMN

Spokannabist is a product of The Spokesman−Review’s marketing division. • Friday, August 26, 2016

GUEST

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If you consider yourself an expert in Washington’s legal marijuana industry and would like to be considered for a future guest column, please email SPOKANNABIST@spokesman.com.

By MAY COTTON Special to Spokannabist

(Editor’s note: In 2011, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration raided several medical marijuana dispensaries in the Spokane area, including Club Compassion. Although Washington voters had approved medicinal use of marijuana in 1998, possession and use is illegal under federal law.)

After the 2011 DEA raid here closed Club Compassion, I faced finding a new gardener.

I met Jacey Hoag through a mutual friend.

His location had also been raided but he was willing to move forward.

Always on top of the latest developments in the ever-changing medical marijuana laws, Jacey knew his equipment and supplies would eventually be returned — minus the pot, of course.

With resources provided by collective members, he planted a new garden, and after an initial dry spell while the first plants grew, he began providing medicinal marijuana once again.

As the movement to legalize recreational marijuana intensified, Jacey prepared for change. As an established medical gardener whose mother also ran a medical dispensary and pipe shop, he had no trouble getting a license to grow recreational plants.

He rented a warehouse and began the remodel to house the garden in the upper

level with a storefront downstairs. Jacey’s mom didn’t get her recreational license, but her store name, Cannabis and Glass, was given to another retailer.

Fast forward to 2016 when medical patients are faced with further changes to the laws, pushing us to buy medicine in recreational stores as cooperative gardens are phased out.

Having long invested in Jacey’s vision as an organic supplier, it was a natural next step when he invited me to become co-owner of a new store.

Jacey’s Green Tree Industries had been competing with growers who had larger operations for two years. During that time they produced and processed over 40 strains of bud, pre-rolled joints, and concentrates.

The grow operation was sold to another producer and we applied for a retail license in March.

Anyone who’s worked with Washington’s Liquor and Cannabis Board knows about the tedious and time-consuming application process. It was hurry-up-and-wait for two months. Two days after the license was approved, we opened The Hidden Joint at 6620 N. Market St. A month later we celebrated with a grand opening sale over Fourth of July weekend.

As with all cannabis retail businesses, the build-up to profitability requires patience, but I enjoy popping into the store every few days to see what’s new and different. I am never disappointed, as the product line continues to expand.

I’m excited by the choices of edibles with clearly marked dosages and prices, and tinctures for making lotions to rub on painful joints.

With WSLCB controls in place, it’s now possible to purchase pure CBD for pain relief without the THC high. Either way, CBD sure beats opiods.

You won’t see me there late into the evening, but our wonderful crew keeps the store open until midnight every day. I’m excited to see what the future will bring for our little store hiding behind a giant maple tree. Of course the signs to our large parking lot are a dead giveaway, so our Joint won’t remain hidden for long.

May Cotton is co-owner of The Hidden Joint, a retail marijuana establishment in northeast Spokane.

REVENUE STATISTICS COUNTY EXCISE TAXES FROM RETAILERS, JUNE 2016 King $6.081 million Spokane $2.236 million Snohomish $2.047 million Pierce $1.957 million Clark $1.376 million Thurston $817,846 Whatcom $697,592 TOP PRODUCER COUNTIES BASED ON JULY SALES Spokane $464,654 Klickitat $344,643 Pierce $288,405 Grant $246,780

502DATA.COM

Okanogan Chelan Mason STATE TOTALS (AS OF JULY 2016) Total marijuana sales since 2015 Total excise tax collected since 2015 2016 Retail sales to date 2016 Excise tax collected SPOKANE COUNTY TOTALS Total sales since 2015 Excise tax collected since 2015 2016 retail sales through July 2016 Excise tax collected through July

$241,285 $201,328 $174,114 $1,077,717,742 $273,623,388 $542,516,576 $128,227,847 $166,811,713 $33,276,880 $70,011,706 $14,423,026

Spokannabist is a product of The Spokesman−Review’s marketing division. • Friday, August 26, 2016

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Distinct aroma can be part of the shopping experience

By ERIKA PRINS SIMONDS Marketing Correspondent

the THC,” she said. “We try not to encourage that too much.”

Though THC levels do matter, they’re not yet measured consistently, she says. So, trusting the numbers too much could lead to disappointment.

“Facilities all kind of test differently. If you have a big harvest and you have a plant that tested at 26 percent [THC level] and it’s thriving and doing really well, that plant’s going to cover for your whole harvest,” Orr said.

Other plants in the harvest could contain considerably less THC

Shilo Morgan makes sure her budtenders have the chance to try each product they sell at Lucky Leaf, the downtown cannabis shop she owns with her husband, David.

Her well-versed budtenders can explain the flavor and experience to customers in detail.

Still, she says, customers like to see, and sometimes smell, for themselves.

Some vendors provide snifters to show off the aroma and appearance of their product to customers. The small, clear plastic containers have a few small holes in the lid, like the top of a salt shaker, and a lid to seal in the plant’s freshness.

What exactly customers are looking for is up to them.

When asked, there’s some banter among Lucky Leaf employees about whether you

can smell how a strain will make you feel. Discerning sniffers may be able to distinguish between the two main species of marijuana plant, sativa and indica, which are said to yield different effects.

Locals Canna House in Spokane Valley offers customers a variety of “smell stations” — snifters on cable tethers, bolted to the counter. It may sound excessive, but security is key for shops that leave product out on the floor.

Danaka Orr, assistant manager at Locals, says they recently had to attach the tethers more securely after several theft attempts.

Orr says smell remains the most reliable way to size up a strain of marijuana.

“A lot of people would probably encourage people to look through the numbers when it comes to

but bear the same number on the label.

So, just like the old days, Orr recommends sticking to your senses. “We encourage people to choose based on smell and looks.”

Some local retailers allow customers to smell the product, including Locals Cannabis House in Spokane Valley and Lucky Leaf.

Photo (left) by Erika Prins Simonds

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Spokannabist is a product of The Spokesman−Review’s marketing division. • Friday, August 26, 2016

Marijuana producers face extra hurdles but love giving back

By DAN WEBSTER Marketing Correspondent

Josh Zaretsky is a Gonzaga Law School graduate in his early-mid-30s. His longtime friend Daniel Harrington is a former schoolteacher. Together, they run a farming business based on a philosophy that Zaretsky describes as “eco-friendly.”

Which involves, as he explains, “an ethos and perspective on the plant and the approach on growing … as opposed to just being a commercial house where we can turn out as many units for as little cash as possible.”

Even in 2016, it may sound unusual for farmers to sound so, well, organic. Especially since Zaretsky and Harrington – as co-owners of the West Plains-situated Kush Comfort Farms – grow a specific kind of crop. Namely, cannabis.

In more euphemistic terms, they are pot farmers.

Eco-minded is exactly what they strive to be.

Embracing the motto “Blessed fruits from deep roots,” Zaretsky and Harrington – along with Paul Flores, the farm manager who doubles as an “extract artist” – work to produce what Harrington describes as “a high-quality product that is healthy and a blessing for the end consumer.”

How times have changed. For 13 years in the 20th century, the 18th Amendment made it illegal to manufacture, transport and sell intoxicating liquors in the United States. In 1933, the 21st Amendment reversed things, and American citizens were again free to purchase alcohol.

Until 2012 the same kind of prohibition applied to those who wanted to produce, process, sell or partake of marijuana

Josh Zaretsky and Daniel Harrington, above, own Kush Comfort Farms, an outdoor farm near Spokane.

Photos by Shallan Knowles

recreationally in Washington. In November of that year, however, voters passed Initiative 502, which – with a number of restrictions – legalized marijuana.

Spokannabist is a product of The Spokesman−Review’s marketing division. • Friday, August 26, 2016

It took more than two years of legal maneuvering to work out the regulatory details, outlined in Chapter 314-55 of the Washington Administrative Code, which comprises some 90 pages of stipulations.

(Legal use of medical marijuana was approved by a state initiative in 1998.)

One such stipulation: A license holder can be a marijuana producer and processor but not a retailer.

According to the information website 502data. com, the larger Spokane area (which includes Spokane Valley, Rockford, Airway Heights and Deer Park) boasts 21 retail stores and 129 producer/ processors.

Among these producer/processors are Zaretsky and Harrington, who first applied for a state license in 2013. They opened for business in May 2015.

Their efforts have paid off. Kush Comfort Farms won a 2016 Dope Cup Award, sponsored by Seattle-based Dope Magazine, for “Best NonSolvent CBD Rec” (CBD stands for cannabidiol, the non-psychoactive chemical compound found in the cannabis plant, which is used medically for pain relief).

They’ve also won fans among their industry peers. Toni Nersenian, co-owner of the Spanglebased cannabis business Palouse Farms, has nothing but praise for the Zaretsky-Harrington operation. In addition to Kush Comfort Farms’ focus on growing as organically as possible, Nersenian says, the two co-owners are good representatives for the cannabis industry.

“They work really hard at doing a good job and being good providers of their product,” she said.

“There’s a ton of pride that goes into what they have.”

Quality of product is just one benefit. As owners of Eastern Washington-based companies, Kush Comfort Farms – like Nersenian’s Palouse Farms and other area producers and producer-processors – employ a number of local workers. Overall, the local industry has contributed a fair amount to the state’s tax coffers: more than $30 million through mid-June of this year.

Zaretsky in particular is conscious of what the Inland Northwest means to him as a grower and a businessman.

“We really believe in this region and its tremendous growing opportunities,” Zaretsky said.

“We’re doing our best to be good corporate citizens.

We’re paying all our taxes. We’re looking forward to the day when marijuana becomes just another legal industry the way alcohol did long ago with the end of Prohibition.”

David Felice, employee, waters crop at Kush Comfort Farms.

Photos by Shallan Knowles

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Spokannabist is a product of The Spokesman Review’s marketing division. • Friday, August 26, 2016

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Autum Schumacher always knew she wanted to create beautiful things with food. She didn’t know her culinary creations would one day nourish people impacted by disease.

Before Schumacher was hired as Executive Chef and Manager of Edible Infused Foods at Blue Roots in Airway Heights, the classicallytrained French chef taught cooking classes in Alaska for children, teens and adults. She started with Classic French 101 and later created a curriculum focusing on fancy foods with dietary restrictions such as vegan, vegetarian, gluten free and sugar free.

“I did it for six years and I loved seeing the passion and excitement and eyes light up when people would say, ‘I made that and it tastes delicious!’” she said.

One day, a family friend sought advice finding something that was marijuana-infused, had specific textures and was nutritious and delicious.

“Because of the treatments the patient was going through, he couldn’t smoke and his throat and esophagus were tender,” Schumacher said. “He needed something with soft density that wouldn’t scratch his throat and still provide nutrients.”

She came up with marijuana-infused smoothies that provided protein plus antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables. These helped him recover

Many of Autum Schumacher’s recipes are simple, healthy and savory, such as Cannabis Pesto, with decarbed cannabis flower pureed with basil, pine nuts and garlic; grilled veggies/ kabobs with marijuana-infused marinade; pureed soups; spice rubs; and tomato basil/roasted

nutrients to support a hea Others started asking cannabis cuisine for limite due to cancer or other au One woman’s mother wan but wouldn’t smoke becau Schumacher shared recip incorporate cannabis into “It became a focus for into something with a med “I researched this extra in my mind. Beyond THC the cannabinoids that could b Schumacher has helpe ingredients, provided lists infused, and recommende she deems reputable. She creates cannabis-infused Roots.

“I’m excited about mee needs, but now we’ll be a doing different dosages a ability to reach medical fo way,” she said.

Schumacher has enrol program studying nutrige schooling and on-the-job new ways to fight disease “The science of what’s we might be able to move industry and find things b she said.

Schumacher is excited

red pepper/gazpacho.

People also like protein bites featuring infused dairy butter, coconut oil or other nut butters, which are blended with dates, dried fruit and oats.

Infused honey or agave can sweeten drinks.

“We use Cannabis Sugar, which works for pure fruit ice

treats, can and a glu strawberr lime juice strawberr She re only using decarbox pieces lik extract, ki

Spokannabist is a product of The Spokesman Review’s marketing division. • Friday, August 26, 2016

A WITH CREATIVE CUISINE althy recovery process. for her help creating ed or restricted diets toimmune problems. nted respite from pain use of the social stigma. pes and techniques to o food. me to turn ‘foo-foo’ food dical angle,” she says. ngredient and it blew ere were other active be infused.” ed people source s of products that can be ed books and websites e develops recipes and concoctions at Blue eting recreational edible able to do medical. We’re and I’m happy to have an olks, hopefully in a better lled in a master’s degree netics. Through her efforts, she hopes to find e and mediate pain. s becoming available… e away from the pharm better for our bodies,” d marijuana is

nnabis coladas, ten-free y shortcake with that masks the ies,” she said. commends g activated/ xylated marijuana e flowers, ief or butter.

becoming more socially acceptable, both medically and recreationally. Blue Roots already has recreational edibles available at stores throughout Washington, including bonbons, nobake bites, chocolates, caramels and more. New savory and sweet products are coming out soon, plus dietary-friendly items especially for medical patients.

“We’ll have vegan and gluten-free choices,” she said. “We have some gluten-free and sugarfree options that have already been approved by the Liquor and Cannabis Board… It’s a very special thing and different from folks who just want to have a really good weekend.”

Autum Schumacher, executive chef and manager of Edible Infused Foods at Blue Roots, creates a variety of tasty treats for recreational and medical marijuana users.

Photo by Shallan Knowles

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Spokannabist is a product of The Spokesman−Review’s marketing division. • Friday, August 26, 2016

CANNABIS NEWS KING COUNTY VOTES TO ALLOW RURAL OPERATIONS SEATTLE —The Metropolitan King County Council voted in late July to end a temporary ban on marijuana operations in unincorporated areas.

The vote was 5-3 to remove the moratorium, which will now permit licensed marijuana businesses to begin operation in rural areas. The only restriction is that they can only be located on parcels of up to 10 acres or more.

Until last spring, grow operations were allowed in all areas zoned rural. However, the council passed a temporary moratorium in April due to concerns of some rural residents.

The council also voted to adjust the rules for retail operations out of concerns that retailers were clustering in certain lowerincome areas, such as White Center and Skyway. The new rules now require a 1,000foot buffer.

Source: Associated Press

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such a move would make marijuana more accessible, but for different reasons.

Backers of the party platform say a growing majority of Americans are in favor of legalization.

“The fact that one of the country’s two major parties has officially endorsed a pathway to legalization is the clearest sign we’ve seen yet that marijuana reform is a mainstream issue at the forefront of American politics,” said Tom Angell, chairman of Marijuana Majority, a pro-legalization group.

“A clear and growing majority of voters want to end prohibition.”

Party nominee Hillary Clinton has not indicated strong support for federal legalization but has said states should be able to make their own decisions.

Not all Democrats are on board with state or federal relaxation of laws, however. Former Rep. Patrick Kennedy, RI, honorary adviser to Smart Approaches to Marijuana, indicated that legalization has had negative impacts, including increased traffic accidents and higher use among young people.

Source: Tribune News Service

DEMOCRAT PLATFORM INCLUDED POT PATHWAY WASHINGTON — The Democrat convention is history, and one of its brighter points was a party platform that created pathways for marijuana legalization.

The specific wording called for “a reasoned pathway for future legalization,” which is the first time a major political party advocated modification of marijuana rules.

The item also included calls for removing marijuana from the list of the most dangerous controlled substances, such as LSD and heroin. Advocates and opponents say

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ANCHORAGE APPROVES FIRST GROW OPERATION ANCHORAGE — Dream Green Farms will be the first grower in Alaska’s capital city to receive a license and special use permit.

The city’s Assembly voted 10-0 in late July to allow commercial growing operations to take place, following the state’s approval of recreational marijuana in 2014.

However, a second applicant, Arctic Herbery, had its application put on hold while some minor details were worked out and more information was gathered. The proposed location is zoned industrial but near a residential area.

The decision by the Anchorage Assembly was the first time a public hearing was held over public cultivation facilities in city limits.

City officials also voted to send future marijuana-related applications for review by a Community and Economic Development Committee before opening them to public discussion.

Dream Green Farms plans to locate in a downtown vacant warehouse and expects to have products available for retailers by December.

It previously received approval from the state’s Marijuana Control Board.

Source: Alaska Dispatch News

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OREGON STATE FAIR WILL FEATURE POT PORTLAND — The Oregon State Fair will be adding a new crop to its agricultural area this year: marijuana.

The Oregon Cannabis Council stepped forward as the sponsor for the new display, which will include a variety of marijuana plants grown by Oregon residents. A panel of growers will judge them for quality, appearance and other criteria, just like any of the other fruit or vegetable categories.

But the pot plants will also be housed in a special greenhouse with a security guard.

Access will be restricted to people age 21

Spokannabist is a product of The Spokesman−Review’s marketing division. • Friday, August 26, 2016

and over. No samples will be provided either.

The fair runs Aug. 26-Sept. 5 in Portland.

Source: Associated Press

humans, fruits or animals. Childproof packaging is also required.

Source: The New York Times

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COLORADO SEEING RISING RATE OF CHILDREN EATING EDIBLES COLORADO — A study published in late July in the Journal of American Medical Association Pediatrics shows an increase in the exposure of young children to edibles.

The study focused on Colorado, which saw a 150 percent increase in reports of exposure from 2014 to present day. Records have been kept since 2009 when medical marijuana became legal.

The data came from the state’s poison control center and one children’s hospital. Poison control officials reported 163 cases between 2009 and 2015, and the hospital reported one pediatric marijuana exposure.

Colorado saw an annual increase of children poisoning cases by 34 percent, compared to other states that saw 19 percent.

Health officials encourage adults to keep these products out of the reach of children. They also discourage producers from making products or packaging that can look appealing to children, such as bright colors or fun shapes.

As of July 1, the state’s “Gummy Bear” law went into effect requiring infused edible products not take the form of

SAN FRANCISCO RESIDENTS DECLARED TOP POT SMOKERS SAN FRANCISCO — An annual study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration shows that the Bay Area has the highest concentration of marijuana smokers.

The survey looked at monthly marijuana use among 240,000 people from age 12 to adults.

Between 2012 and 2014, it indicated that 20.3 million people, or 7.7 percent of the population, use marijuana at least monthly.

The San Francisco metropolitan area showed that 15 percent of residents use it regularly. At the other end of the scale was southern Texas, which only showed that 4 percent of people smoke regularly.

Generally, use rates were higher in the western U.S., and lowest in the south.

Interestingly, total rates only grew about 1 percent between 2010 and 2012, and 2012-2014, even though more states had legal access or changed their policies.

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Spokannabist is a product of The Spokesman−Review’s marketing division. • Friday, August 26, 2016

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Spokannabist is a product of The Spokesman−Review’s marketing division. • Friday, August 26, 2016

By NICOLE SKINNER Marketing Correspondent

GrowState recently added a new grower as part of its goal to be one of the state’s premier providers of marijuana and extracts.

Chris Leeper, a California native who has been growing cannabis for 15 years, was excited to move up north and share his experience for the Spokane-based cannabis grower and producer.

“California laws started to stunt the growth of cannabis business,” he said. “Colorado and Washington have become the new front-runners for the industry.”

GrowState, located in the old downtown Spokane Costco, is a Tier 3 license holder. The state designation allows the company to grow between 10,000 and 30,000 square feet of dedicated plant canopy.

The company has a “from the ground up” approach, and is committed to superior customer service through attention to every detail, from THC levels to packaging.

There are about 15 people on the GrowState team that help tend to the plants. A good understanding of chemistry and math are helpful for a career in

growing cannabis.

“Propagation and horticulture knowledge are also a must.

Plus, having a green thumb helps too,” Leeper said.

Since he joined GrowState, Leeper has been updating existing equipment to be more efficient. He also brings medicinal cannabis experience to the company that he feels will help improve the quality of the product grown.

The company is also starting a full genetics department so it can continue to explore all traits of the cannabis plant.

Since joining GrowState, Leeper has also added a new strain: OG Kush. He also plans to always be creating and trying new strains.

Chris Leeper was recently hired as the head grower for GrowState, an indoor grower and producer in Spokane.

Photo by Shallan Knowles

“My personal favorites are OG Kush and Sour Diesel strains,” he said. “I like the OG Kush strain because it has a powerful body effect that you feel all over, and helps with aches and pains, and relaxes the body.”

The Sour Diesel, he said “has a cerebral effect” good for mood-enhancing and calming the mind.

While GrowState serves the entire state, much of its product stays in the Spokane area.

To learn more about the company, visit growstate.com.

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Spokannabist is a product of The Spokesman−Review’s marketing division. • Friday, August 26, 2016

By JEFF SELLE Marketing Correspondent

SPOKANE – A recent University of Washington Study has concluded that there is a sufficient supply of cannabis to meet consumer needs, prompting state regulators to limit the number of future growing permits.

According to Mikhail Carpenter, a spokesman for the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board, based on the study conducted

by UW Cannabis Law &

Policy Project, the board has decided not to issue a number of permits that were applied for in November 2013.

Carpenter said the state opened a window of time in 2013 when cannabis producers and processors could apply for up to three licenses. While the state will continue to process the first licenses, the second and third license applications will be withdrawn.

“We have already licensed more than was in that report,” Carpenter said. “So the board

A recent study by the University of Washington Cannabis Law and Policy Project estimated that 12.7 million square feet of the state is being used for the production of marijuana.

Photo by Shallan Knowles

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has decided it will not be issuing the second and third licenses that were applied for during that first window.”

The study primarily focused on the amount of cannabis production that would need to be licensed in order to supply the medical marijuana industry once it came under the state regulatory system on July 1.

Sam Mendez, executive director of the Cannabis Law

& Policy Project, said the study resulted in a broadbased estimate of the amount of cannabis that was being produced in Washington State at that point in time.

The study found that 12.7 million square feet of space was being used for the production of marijuana, edibles and concentrates. Of that number, 1.7 million to 2 million square feet of space was needed to serve medical

Spokannabist is a product of The Spokesman−Review’s marketing division. • Friday, August 26, 2016

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needs, and another 10 million square feet was needed to supply the rest of the market.

“Nearly all of the calculations in this report require some measure of estimation, so we recommend that our conclusion not be seen as a hard conclusion but rather as a broad estimate,” Mendez wrote in his report to the board. “Given these qualifications, we believe that our conclusion is reliable.

WSLCB will ultimately decide whether its current licensure of 10 million square feet of canopy, with potentially more to be licensed in the near future, is sufficient for the demands of the medical marijuana market.”

Mendez said he was concerned the report would be criticized because of the estimations that had to be used due to the lack of state records concerning the medical marijuana industry prior to July 1.

“We were well aware that we were conducting the study during this transition,” Mendez said in a later interview. “It’s a snapshot at a broad level.

But we believe the numbers are correct.

The prices have plummeted. There is a huge supply out there right now.”

Carpenter said that as of July 12, the board has licensed 14.8 million square feet of canopy, but not all of that is in production at the same time.

16

Spokannabist is a product of The Spokesman−Review’s marketing division. • Friday, August 26, 2016

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