Recreational marijuana in Washington: One year later

Recreational Marijuana is still very new to the US and with only a few states participating there have been a lot of different unexpected turns while trying to get the industry moving. Though Washington legalized the drug for recreational use back in 2012, we are just now a year into the first legal sales. It took nearly 2 years to get the program up and running, and even after opening there was a huge gap between supply and demand, forcing legal prices to skyrocket above black market prices. Since then, growers and dispensaries have met needs much more efficiently and brought prices down from nearly $50 a gram to $7 a gram in recreational shops.

“We’re green and growing in the right direction,” said Freedom Market owner Kathy Nelson. “It’s amazing how much money is going right back into the community from this.”

Since retail sales started July 8 last year, more than $5 million has exchanged hands and at least 60 jobs created in the county as a result of the marijuana trade.