Washington state held its first marijuana auction on Saturday and harvested about $600,000 worth of greenbacks, according to the Tri-City Herald.
About 300 pounds of dried herb sold to recreational retailers for just dollars a gram while under the watchful eyes of at least two Liquor Control Board officers. Bidders were permitted to smell the flowers before making an offer, but no smoking was allowed, according to the Tri-City Herald.
"I'm seeing a well-organized event," Lt. Jeremy Wissing, an officer with the state Liquor Control Board who oversaw part of the auction, told the Tri-City Herald. "It isn't a circus. I'm not seeing open consumption of marijuana."
The owner of Fireweed Farms, Randy Williams, auctioned off the bulk of his crop, which was planted May 9 and harvested in late September and mid-October. Williams told the Tri-City Herald that he wanted to "get rid of it all quick" so he could spend more time with his grandson and less time packaging marijuana.
Wissing told the Tri-City Herald that he can envision other growers holding auctions to sell off their product. "It's just a different way of moving his [Williams'] product," he said.
