The following is a release from the Washington State Liquor Control Board:

The Washington State Liquor Control Board (WSLCB) today posted the results of marijuana retail store lotteries on the public records section of its website. Earlier this week applicants were notified of their standing on each ranked-ordered list produced by 75 lotteries.

The independent, double-blind process took place April 21-25, 2014, and produced ordered lists of applicants that the agency will use to continue its retail licensing process. If an applicant is within the maximum allotted number of stores allotted for that jurisdiction but fails to pass the licensing process, the board will withdraw the application and move to the next license application on the list.

The lottery included 1,174 applicants for 75 jurisdictions requiring a lottery. Lotteries were not required for 47 jurisdictions.

The agency contracted with the Social and Economic Sciences Research Center of Washington State University and the accounting firm for Washington’s Lottery, Kraght-Snell of Seattle, to independently produce rank-ordered lists of applicants in each jurisdiction where a lottery is necessary. Being identified as the apparent successful applicant is not a guarantee that the selected applicant will receive a license. There are multiple requirements for licensure such as the applicant must pass a criminal history and financial investigation as well as have a location that is not within 1,000 feet of a school, park or other area specified by Initiative 502 as places where children congregate.

Next Steps

The agency has begun processing the retail applications. Licensing staff will continue to process producer, processor and retailer simultaneously. As of April 30, the WSLCB has issued 25 producer and processor licenses. The agency expects to begin issuing retail licenses no later than the first week of July.