Newsbriefs

Retail pot

license issued

The city of Grand Coulee has issued a business license for a marijuana retail outlet.

Filing with the city and receiving the license was Jean Comstock, who plans to open her retail store in a location on Burdin Boulevard sometime soon after the first of the year, in the Snyder business park.

State to raise lid on pot outlets

Following an analysis of the entire marijuana marketplace in the state, the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board heard a recommendation Dec. 16 from staff to increase the number of retail marijuana stores from the current cap of 334 to a new cap of 556.

“Our goal was clear: to ensure medical patients have access to the products they need,” said WSLCB Director Rick Garza. “There will be more storefronts for patients going forward than are available today. In addition, qualified patients can grow their own or join a four-member cooperative.”

The Cannabis Patient Protection Act passed this year charges the WSLCB, the state Department of Health and other agencies with drafting regulations that integrate the medical marijuana marketplace into the tightly controlled recreational marketplace.

A study released Dec. 15 estimates the state’s overall marijuana market value at $1.3 billion annually, 37 percent of which is for medical uses.

Property tax

exemption

level raised

Folks who have been exempt from property taxes will still qualify even if they have a little more income each year, Okanogan County Assessor Scott D. Furman noted this week.

Furman said the income level has been increased from $35,000 to $40,000 for property owners who are 61 or older, or for those retired due to a service- or job-related disability.

Meetings changed

The regular meeting of the Grand Coulee council scheduled for Jan 5, has been moved to Tuesday, Jan. 12, beginning at 6 p.m. The council’s Jan. 19 meeting has been canceled.