WASHINGTON: The number of applications for marijuana stores in Bellingham outnumbers the city’s Woods Coffee shops, Starbucks cafés and Haggen grocery stores – combined.

Last week marked the deadline for the first wave of pot entrepreneurs to apply for a license and get in on Washington’s newest industry.

On Christmas Eve, the state Liquor Control Board released names and addresses of more than 3,700 businesses that submitted paperwork in the initial one-month window for applications.

A total of 179 businesses, or 4.8 percent of the statewide total, hope to open in Whatcom County. By comparison, about 3 percent of Washingtonians live here.