Washington state took the final step in legalizing recreational marijuana use on Monday when officials began issuing retail licenses to stores that could start selling cannabis 24 hours later, according to The Associated Press.
State regulators have accepted 334 marijuana retail applications and only 24 stores were given the green light, the AP reported. The state issued 24 licenses on Monday, and more stores are expected to open as state inspectors sign off on applications.
The Washington State Liquor Control Board has said many applicants failed final inspections, and some municipalities also have banned retail pot sales, according to the AP.
Washington is the second state after Colorado to allow retail sales of recreational marijuana to adults under a heavily regulated and taxed system that voters approved in November 2012, the AP reported.
Possession of marijuana is illegal under federal law, but the U.S. Justice Department has said it will not intervene in states with "strong and effective regulatory and enforcement systems," according to the AP.
Once a retailer receives a marijuana license, the business is cleared to place an order with a licensed processor that must quarantine the product for 24 hours before delivering it to stores, the AP reported. Retailers must scan the barcoded inventory and enter the data into a statewide computer-tracking system.
Customers will be allowed to buy up to 1 ounce, or 28 grams, of marijuana, according to the AP. They also can buy up to 16 ounces of marijuana-infused product in solid form or up to 72 ounces, two kilograms, of marijuana-infused product in liquid form, according to the AP.
Washington and Colorado stunned much of the world by voting in November 2012 to legalize marijuana for adults over 21, and to create state-licensed systems for growing, selling and taxing the pot. Sales began in Colorado on Jan. 1, the AP reported.
