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Questions and answers about Washington’s pot sales

In this photo taken July 1, 2014, workers Kristi Tobias, right, and Bruce Cumming prepare packets of a variety of recreational marijuana named "Space Needle" at Sea of Green Farms in Seattle. Workers at the grower, the first business licensed to grow recreational marijuana in Washington state, worked all weekend to have supplies ready for stores that were expected to be granted sale licenses on Monday, the day before the first day of legal recreational pot sales in Washington state. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
In this photo taken July 1, 2014, workers Kristi Tobias, right, and Bruce Cumming prepare packets of a variety of recreational marijuana named "Space Needle" at Sea of Green Farms in Seattle. Workers at the grower, the first business licensed to grow recreational marijuana in Washington state, worked all weekend to have supplies ready for stores that were expected to be granted sale licenses on Monday, the day before the first day of legal recreational pot sales in Washington state. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) In this photo taken July 1, 2014, workers Kristi Tobias, right, and Bruce Cumming prepare packets of a variety of recreational marijuana named "Space Needle" at Sea of Green Farms in Seattle. Workers at the grower, the first business licensed to grow recreational marijuana in Washington state, worked all weekend to have supplies ready for stores that were expected to be granted sale licenses on Monday, the day before the first day of legal recreational pot sales in Washington state. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

By Associated Press 4 min read

SEATTLE (AP) – Washington state’s first recreational marijuana stores open for business this week, more than a year and a half after voters decided to legalize, tax and regulate pot. Some questions and answers about the industry:

Q: When can I buy legal weed?

A: The state’s Liquor Control Board issued the first two dozen retail marijuana licenses in the wee hours Monday, and stores can open at 8 a.m. Tuesday if they’re ready. Once stores get their licenses, they can place their orders with the state’s licensed growers, who have to wait 24 hours before they ship the marijuana. It wasn’t immediately clear how many stores planned to open Tuesday. Some, such as Bellingham’s Top Shelf Cannabis, said it would be open at 8 a.m.; others, such as Seattle’s Cannabis City, planned to open at noon.

Q: Where can I buy legal weed?

A: By early Monday, the board hadn’t released a list of all the stores being licensed in the first wave, but some of the shops have told reporters they’ve paid their fees, passed their inspections and are ready for their golden tickets. The board said a few stores were prepared in Spokane, Tacoma, Bellingham and Vancouver, but only one is expected to open in Seattle.