Washington State Hires Marijuana Consultant to Help Implement New Market

Officials in Washington state have chosen a think tank to help them set up and regulate its new marijuana market, Reuters reports.

Botec Analysis Corp., based in Massachusetts, specializes in crime and drug policy. The state’s Liquor Control Board announced this week the company was chosen over 112 other applicants. The board has until December to set up a system that will allow marijuana to be sold and taxed at state-licensed stores.

Washington state, along with Colorado, approved recreational use of marijuana for adults 21 and over this past November.

Mark Kleiman, Botec’s Chief Executive, will head a 30-member team advising the state. The company will charge an hourly rate of $292, according to a Liquor Control Board news release.

It remains a crime to sell, cultivate or share marijuana in Washington state, the article notes. It is also illegal to drive under the influence of the drug, or use it in places where alcohol is illegal. Marijuana use is illegal under federal law.