As the first stores that will sell marijuana in Washington state get ready to open, there’s one tiny issue that should be worrying those eager to smoke legal bud: there’s almost no weed. The Associated Press talks to a liquor control board official who says that so far shortages seem inevitable. Only two licensed growers have submitted samples to the sole lab that has been certified to test the legal marijuana and they represent a maximum harvest of 190 pounds.
The growers that have managed to get ahead of the game are taking advantage of the situation. One says it has managed to sell most of its harvest for $4,000 a pound, meaning almost $9 per gram—and that’s before counting the mark-up of the retailer and all the taxes. Unlicensed medical dispensaries sell weed for $8 to $12 per gram.
