Pot Production Capped at 1.4 Million Ounces

The Washington State Liquor Control Board just announced final rules for the legal pot industry in our state. Here are some details:

Pot Shop Limit. Washington state smokers will be able to purchase their cannabis from up to 334 stores statewide. These will be divided up per county and per city. Seattle will be allowed 21 legal pot stores, a far cry from the one hundred plus medical dispensaries supported by city residents.

Pot Production Limit. The state has set a maximum annual pot production limit of 40 tons. That's a bit more than 1.4 million ounces of pot. That's around 4 ounces of pot a year per Hempfest attendee.

Grow Size Limit. Cannabis production facilities will be limited to 30,000 square feet. The state will issue licenses for three tiers of grows: under 2,000 square feet, 2,000-10,000 square feet, and 10,000-30,000 square feet. The maximum amount of pot grow floor space in the state will be capped at 2 million square feet.

Better Buffer Measurements. The best news by far, in my opinion, is that the liquor board has decided that the 1,000-foot setbacks required around schools, parks and other facilities will be measured by common path of travel, not as-the-crow-flies. This means that a location across the freeway from a school won't be banned unless a school kid can legally walk 1,000 feet and reach the pot shop.

Final proposed rules are posted here, a summary of changes here, and the liquor board has an updated FAQ here.