One of the first opportunities has just emerged: The state is seeking cannabis consultants who can paint a picture of the potential market for legalized marijuana and provide guidance on everything from testing and packaging to inventory tracking and overall regulations.

The Washington State Liquor Control Board has officially posted an RFP for consultants on the section of its website covering Initiative 502, the voter-approved law that legalizes the sale and use of marijuana by adults. To see the entire RFP and submit a bid for the project, click here . (Note: In the “Filter by Government Organization” box, scroll down to “Liquor Control Board.” You’ll have to officially register on the site to read the document.)

Based on the criteria, this could be an ideal opportunity for an existing medical marijuana consulting firm that is familiar with all aspects of the cannabis business and MMJ regulatory models across the country. The state, however, also is looking for detailed projections on supply and demand – which could fall into the realm of an economist or university professor.

“One of the key things we want to do here in Washington is validate consumption numbers,” Brian Smith, a spokesman for the Washington State Liquor Control Board, told MMJ Business Daily this morning. “If you can understand what consumption is in Washington, you can build (a program) around that. We want to know how much growers need to produce to meet market demand. We don’t want to over-produce – clearly there’s a black market for marijuana – and we don’t want to under-produce.”

Smith said the state could hire more than one consultant to hit different areas of need.

“We’re trying to tap into the expertise out there that can help us with various tasks” as Washington sets up regulations covering the marijuana industry, Smith said. “There might be one vendor who can help us in this regard, or there might be more than one.”