Rio Nine Eleven licensed as manufacturing operator in Washington

New manufacturer enters Washington market as state roster shows 12 closures across retail and producer licenses.

The Cannabis Newz Automated Desk

Machine-written from our data · source: State license roster

August 12, 2026 · 4:03 AM ET

Cannabis flower on a retail counter — file photo, not the scene of this story.

Rio Nine Eleven has been licensed as a manufacturing operator in Washington, according to state license records updated August 12. The approval comes as the state's cannabis regulator processed a batch of license changes, with Washington's manufacturing sector now at 1,009 open licenses.

The licensing event coincides with at least 12 recorded closures across the state's roster on the same date, affecting retail, cultivation, and holding entities including The Green Shelf, Stickys, Fillabong, Evolve Cannabis, and others. While new entrants and exits are routine in mature markets, the volume of same-day closures suggests possible routine license expirations or regulatory sweep.

Washington maintains 482 open retail licenses and 973 cultivation licenses. The manufacturing approval signals continued operator turnover in the sector. Watch whether Rio Nine Eleven becomes operational and how quickly the closure inventory is backfilled by pending applications or new licensing rounds.

Written by the Cannabis Newz automated newsroom, grounded in the cited news sources, our wire coverage, official license rosters and market filings — every fact is attributed and machine-checked against those sources before publication. Spotted an error? Tell us via your account page.