Hundreds of entrepreneurs apply to grow, sell pot in Washington

Hundreds of people have applied on the first day Washington state began accepting applications to grow, process, and sell marijuana under the new pot law.

The Department of Revenue said that by 2 p.m. it had received 299 completed online applications, and more were pouring in. Many other people applied in person. The state is accepting the applications for 30 days.

Applicants are must undergo background checks, be residents of Washington state, and have their business areas inspected by the state. The business must also take safety precautions, such as installing surveillance and alarm systems.

They also have to pay a non-refundable $250 fee for every application. It costs $1,000 to renew the license annually.

The state says it will cap the number of retail stores at 334 statewide, with 21 in Seattle, which could prompt a lottery for those licenses

The licenses become effective Dec. 1, 2013. The state liquor control board says it’s hired a team to process licenses, but it’s unclear how long that will take. Liquor licenses generally take 60 to 90 days to process. After that, it depends on the market, availability of the product, how fast a store can come together, etc.

The liquor control board says you might begin to see recreational marijuana for sale sometime in late spring of 2014.

Last year, voters in Washington passed Initiative 502, which made the recreational use of marijuana legal for adults over 21.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.