State sees big increase in pot license applicants

GRANT COUNTY - The state's Liquor Control Board experienced a big jump in marijuana business applications in the past week, including Grant County, as the deadline to submit nears.

The board released an updated list Tuesday of applicants, which includes 2,444 applications to grow, process or sell marijuana across the state, compared to less than 1,700 last week, under the state's recreational pot law passed by voters last year.

The list of applicants in Grant County also soared in the past week, jumping from 26 total applicants to 43. The most applications, 21, have been for growing licenses, including seven in Quincy, five in Moses Lake, four in Ephrata, three in Warden and one in Grand Coulee.

The state received 14 processor-license applications, including four in Quincy and Ephrata and three in Moses Lake and Warden, as well as eight retail licenses, with half of those in Moses Lake, according to the board.

Across the state, 1,116 applications have been received for growing licenses, 816 for processor licenses and 512 for retail licenses. Some organizations have submitted multiple applications.

The state has said it will not cap the number of growers or processors but will only allow 334 retail stores statewide, including seven in Grant County.

The state started accepting applications Nov. 18 as part of a one-month application period. The application deadline is 5 p.m. Friday with no current plans to hold another application period, according to the board.