If you have a delivery service in Seattle, you may want to pay close attention to what’s to come next in your legislature. It was announced this past month that there will be no tolerance of delivery services in Seattle due to the number of unlicensed and illegal delivery services. If you own a dispensary that has a license even you ,unfortunately, are not safe. The delivery of marijuana is – in Seattle right now – very illegal. If you have a delivery service, and you are publicly advertising, it might be a good time to put the kibosh on that.
Twenty eight percent of the marijuana industry – according to the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis board – is “black market”. Legal retailers suspect it is the overwhelming majority and because they feel that black-market companies are making business harder for licensed businesses to stay afloat. Ultimately, this is about money. Government money. In the time that cannabis has been legalized in Washington, it has generated a whopping 65 million dollars in tax revenue. In the time that cannabis has been legalized in Washington, it has generated a whopping 65 million dollars in tax revenue. The governmental powers-that-be, would like it to remain profitable.
As a cannabis business owner in Washington, you need to be incredibly business savvy. Make sure you know and are adhering to the laws set in place by the WA government, and if you are running a delivery service – consider putting it on hiatus for a while. Not having been aware when they come knocking – that the service your dispensary offers is illegal won’t protect you from the coming wave of crackdowns (which are starting with publicly advertised delivery services). Understanding the red tape can help you navigate the legal realities of being in the cannabis industry, and protect your business from being shut down.
The state’s efforts aren’t all negative though. In fact, Attorney Pete Holmes of Seattle stated that while there will be many enforcement steps to protect the interest of big government – he has already drafted legislature (to be approved by state government) that would introduce a “pilot program” allowing dispensaries to legally make deliveries.
The red tape is there, but following it will help keep you in business, and help keep the medicating population of Washington very happy. Review the law. Review your practices, and medicate and promote medicating consciously.
SHELLY EVANS
STAFF EDITOR