Authorities in Washington shut down a Tacoma cultivator and arrested the licensee for allegedly diverting cannabis to the black market.
The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board issued an emergency license suspension on Dec. 18 for The Kukuia Company, a Tier 2 processor/producer that does business as Feel Budder, following a long-term investigation with the Tacoma Police Department’s Special Investigations Unit, according to an LCB statement. A Tier 2 producer can have up to 10,000 square feet of canopy.
In response to a tip, police served search warrants Dec. 11 at a 17,000 square foot warehouse and a residence, according to a Dec. 18 press release from the Tacoma Police Department. During the searches, officers seized 7,789 cannabis plants that were allegedly not properly recorded in the state’s tracking system. Multiple pounds of manufactured product, three vehicles, a handgun and an undisclosed amount of cash were also seized.
Police said the licensee was arrested on charges of unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and unlawful manufacturing of a controlled substance. The Tacoma Police Department’s public information officer wouldn’t identify the arrestee, but Pierce County Superior Court records show that Tigran Gasparyan was arrested Dec. 11 on those charges.
Gasparyan is listed as a corporate officer of The Kukuia Company, according to CRB Monitor’s licensing database. An LCB spokesperson said he holds 100% ownership.
“Based on the seriousness of the violations, the Board found the continued operation of the licensed business to be a direct and immediate threat to public health and safety,” the LCB statement said. “The Board therefore approved an emergency Suspension of the license.”
The license will remain suspended for 180 days while the board seeks permanent revocation. The investigation remains ongoing, the Tacoma Police spokesperson said.
This is the second emergency suspension the LCB issued in 2024. In June, the LCB suspended the retail license of The Big Rock Candy Mountain, doing business as MJ’s Pot Shop in Pullman, for a variety of violations. A spokeswoman for the LCB said the license has since been revoked.
