State Considers Amnesty Program for Pot Business Owners That Hide Ownership

Lester Black | Jul 23, 2018

If you want to own a legal pot farm or retail store in Washington you must tell the state every person that has invested money or shares revenue in your business. If you hide an investor, even accidentally, the state’s rules punish you by canceling your license.

In theory, the strict disclosure requirements and harsh penalties will prevent criminal organizations from profiting from legal weed sales in the state.

But Washington’s Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB), which regulates cannabis in the state, has had trouble enforcing the strict penalties, and now they’re considering a month-long amnesty period for concealed ownership violations. The amnesty program left one LCB member worrying in a public meeting last month that “we’re going to have to either accept that we’re going to get some people with fraudulent intent in there or just not do it.”

State Considers Amnesty Program for Pot Business Owners That Hide Ownership