Interviews with Cannabis Licensees in Washington State: A Report for the Washington State Liquor & Cannabis Board

31 Pages Posted: 21 Oct 2019

See all articles by Mark Kleiman

Mark Kleiman

New York University (NYU) - Marron Institute of Urban Management

Samuel Hampsher-Monk

BOTEC Analysis

Steven Davenport

Aperture Research

Clarissa Manning

Independent

Lowry Heussler

BOTEC Analysis, LLC

Date Written: August 14, 2019

Abstract

With the passage of I-502 in 2012, Washington became (with Colorado) one of the first two US states to legalize the production, sale and use of recreational cannabis. As of June, 2018, the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) has issued 1947 licenses. However, despite efforts to "right-size" the licensed production to the demand for recreational cannabis, cannabis is abundant and growers are having trouble finding retail outlets. Regulatory limits on growing area ("canopy") that were expected to constrain production have turned out to be non-binding; many licensees report using less than half their licensed canopy. The resulting sharp drop in cannabis prices has implications for the stability of the industry and, potentially, for public health.

The LCB commissioned BOTEC Analysis, LLC, and the RAND Corporation to investigate the on-the-ground realities of the cannabis industry in Washington 6 years after it was created. Of particular interest to the LCB were trends in cannabis consumption, production, supply and demand, pricing, and unused licensed canopy. BOTEC undertook a set of producer and processor interviews as a complement to the statistical investigation and policy analysis at the center of the project. The interviews conducted, which are the subject of this report, are intended to illustrate the experiences of cannabis producers and processors, large and small alike, operating in Washington.

Keywords: Cannabis, Marijuana, Drug Policy, Cannabis Legalization,Marijuana Legalization

Suggested Citation

Kleiman, Mark and Hampsher-Monk, Samuel and Davenport, Steven and Manning, Clarissa and Heussler, Lowry, Interviews with Cannabis Licensees in Washington State: A Report for the Washington State Liquor & Cannabis Board (August 14, 2019). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3437462 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3437462

Mark Kleiman

New York University (NYU) - Marron Institute of Urban Management ( email )

196 Mercer St.
New York, NY 10012
United States

Samuel Hampsher-Monk (Contact Author)

BOTEC Analysis ( email )

25350 Magic Mountain Parkway
Suite 300
Santa Clarita, CA 91355
United States
2139445669 (Phone)

Steven Davenport

Aperture Research ( email )

Brooklyn, NY 11221
United States

Clarissa Manning

Independent ( email )

Lowry Heussler

BOTEC Analysis, LLC ( email )

322 N. Mansfield Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
140
Abstract Views
667
Rank
372,809
PlumX Metrics