Washington state looking for marijuana adviser

From left, Andre Edwards, G.E. Montoya, and J. Smiley pass around a glass pipe as they smoke marijuana, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012, just after midnight at the Space Needle in Seattle, when possession of marijuana became legal in Washington state. / AP Photo

SEATTLE Wanted: A green thumb with extensive knowledge of the black, or at least gray, market.

As Washington state tries to figure out how to regulate its newly legal marijuana, officials are hiring an adviser on all things weed: how it's best grown, dried, tested, labeled, packaged and cooked into brownies.

Those angling for the job were expected to learn more Wednesday in Tacoma. The state Liquor Control Board, the agency charged with developing rules for the marijuana industry, reserved a convention center hall with a capacity of 275 people — plus an overflow room — for its bidding experts to take questions about the position and the hiring process.

"The Liquor Control Board has a long and a very good history with licensing and regulation. We know it and know how to do it well," said spokesman Mikhail Carpenter. "But there are some technical aspects with marijuana we could use a consultant to help us with."

Last fall, Washington and Colorado became the first states to pass laws legalizing the recreational use of marijuana and setting up systems of state-licensed growers, processors and retail stores where adults over 21 can walk in and buy up to an ounce of heavily taxed cannabis. Sales are due to begin in Washington state in December.

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Both states are working to develop rules for the emerging pot industry. Up in the air is everything from how many growers and stores there should be, to how the marijuana should be tested to ensure people don't get sick.

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Washington's Liquor Control Board has advertised for consulting services in four categories. The first is "product and industry knowledge" and requires "at least three years of consulting experience relating to the knowledge of the cannabis industry, including but not limited to product growth, harvesting, packaging, product infusion and product safety."

Other categories cover quality testing, including how to test for levels of THC, the compound that gets marijuana users high; statistical analysis of how much marijuana the state's licensed growers should produce; and the development of regulations, a category that requires "a strong understanding of state, local or federal government processes," with a law degree preferred.

In case no regulatory lawyers who grow pot in their spare time apply, multiple contracts could be awarded. Or bidders who are strong in one category could team up with those who are strong in another. Bids are due Feb. 15, with the contract awarded in March.

Many of the bidders are expected to come from the medical marijuana world.

Christy Stanley, a Kitsap County resident who has researched marijuana and considered opening a medical dispensary in the past, said she's attending the conference because she'd like the job, but wants to know whether it would disqualify her from also becoming a licensed grower or retailer. She knows growers, but has never grown marijuana herself, she said.

"This is big: The nation and the world are looking to us to set up a good model," she said. "If it works here, they're just going to cookie-cut this for other states."

[stupa5]

Alcapulco Gold....Mauai Wowie dudes and Sensimilla! That's all you need to know

[bobbychuckles]

Ironic that the ditto-heads are playing the role of self righteous alarmists on this issue, whilst defending our 'right' to own military assault weapons.
Their hypocrisy shines forth like a neon hoarding atop a cheap hotel.

[AJAX_940]

Seriously now,.... you would think that all of this would have been done along with studies well before it became Law! The liberal judges in this case have opened up a Pandora's Box. STAY TUNED,... we'll start to hear about the problems from drugs being openly and legally abused very soon!!

[bobbychuckles]

Your lack of knowledge on the subject it astounding.

[Gecko5]

AJAX, you mean like alcohol? I like Bobby's assessment, if in a free ociety a government shouldn't be allowed to dictate whether a law abiding citizen can own a particular weapon then why should that same government be allwoed to dictate whether that citizen might grow a plant that exists in the wild on every continent and smoke it in their home as long as they are harming no one.

[chipsmydog]

America has a moral problem. All the other issues are symptomatic.

[bobnjersey]

[America has a moral problem. All the other issues are symptomatic.]
-----------------------------------------------------
what problem is that ... life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness ... doing things that have no negative impact on others?

[88Ronin]

The prestige of government has undoubtedly been lowered considerably by the [hemp] prohibition law. For nothing is more destructive of respect for the government and the law of the land than passing laws which cannot be enforced. It is an open secret that the dangerous increase of crime in this country is closely connected with this.
- Albert Einstein


"Even if one takes every reefer madness allegation of the prohibitionists at face value, marijuana prohibition has done far more harm to far more people than marijuana ever could." - William F. Buckley, Jr.

The illegality of cannabis is outrageous, an impediment to full utilization of a drug which helps produce the serenity and insight, sensitivity and fellowship so desperately needed in this increasingly mad and dangerous world." - Carl Sagan


"If the words "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" don't include the right to
experiment with your own consciousness, then the Declaration of Independence is not worth the hemp on which it is printed." ~Terence McKenna

[-soothsayer-]

I think legalize means freedom to grow your own. True, I think the state should create a brand or brands to sell and tax. The old American way, competition in a Capitalist society. Let's not over think this, it's legal and let's not worry ourselves crazy about it. It's business as usual except the risk of arrest is taken away for the user.

[chipsmydog]

Your handle is an insult to intelligence and wisdom.
America already lacks responsible citizens, especially men, and liberals like you want to cover another intoxicant with agenda driven complacency.
Why not try being honest and talk about the proven negative effects of Pot?
To do this you would actually have to care about Truth and righteousness, not to mention the younger generation coming up behind you.

[maxpost]

To @CHIPSMYDOG:

"Another intoxicant" is no fair label for cannabis as long as hot burning overdose "joint" (heat shock, carbon monoxide, combustion toxins) and "blunt" (admixture of addictive nicotine) are allowed to produce health damage conveniently attributed to the cannabis.

The Washington officians and their advisors will hopefully address the issue of popularizing the concept of "VAPORIZING" instead of "SMOKING" and encourage a manufacturing industry in "portable vaporizers" and 25-mg-serving-size "one-hitters" to replace 500-mg "rolling papers", then you and everyone will realize not cannabis but the toxic smoking methods (very profitable to big cigarette corporations) were to blame for dangers to the younger generation.

[Swiftest]

Cheech and Chong and Willie Nelson are my picks

[1notrub11]

"As Washington state tries to figure out how to regulate its newly legal marijuana"

Offhand, I would argue the proverbial "horse" has already left the barn.

Besides, I have already been hired by Colorado. ;)