OLYMPIA– The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) issued an emergency marijuana producer license suspension on Tuesday October 2, 2018 for The Sunshine Tiki Hut, located at 1302 5th Street Extension in Hoquiam. The suspension is effective for 180 days beginning October 2, 2018 until March 31, 2019. During that time the WSLCB will seek permanent revocation of the license.
Acting on a complaint from Hoquiam Police Department, WSLCB Enforcement conducted a premise check at the licensed location and observed untagged plants, clones and finished product. Traceability tags allow officers to track marijuana throughout the system and assist in monitoring for tax compliance, potential diversion and product recalls. Officers also noted substantial unauthorized alterations to the business including an undisclosed storage unit with three freezers containing untraced product and a RV that had been moved onto the property which also contained untraced product and appeared to be used as a residence. Licensees are prohibited from operating a business from their residence.
During the course of their investigation officers seized 1,309 marijuana plants, 213.5 lbs. marijuana flower and 5,644 grams of extracted marijuana oil.
Due to the severity of these violations and the risk of diversion should the business remain open the Board issued the emergency suspension. Emergency suspensions represent an extraordinary exercise of the state’s power and the WSLCB is mandated to ensure that an emergency suspension is reasonable, justifiable and legal in every way. The WSLCB issued one emergency suspension in 2017, and four in 2018.
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