Photos: In Wenatchee, a marijuana industry comes alive

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Monkey Grass Farms employees clip buds from leaves and stems of marijuana plants on Friday, September 19, 2014, in East Wenatchee, Washington. Monkey Grass is a Tier 3 producer and processor in Washington State, the largest permit type the state allows.

WENATCHEE, Washington -- In this city known as the "Apple Capital of the World," a new agricultural industry is taking root: marijuana.

Fruit crops like apples, pears and cherries are a major economic driver here. The industry benefits from some of the cheapest electricity costs in the nation, thanks to nearby hydroelectric dams, and irrigation from the Columbia River and its tributaries.

Two cities actually make up this idyllic countryside: to the west of the Columbia River, Wenatchee. To the east, East Wenatchee. To an outsider, they appear as one. Driving between them takes roughly three minutes.

The two cities have taken different paths on marijuana legalization. In Wenatchee, a local ordinance banned marijuana businesses. In East Wenatchee, marijuana businesses are permitted.

But Wenatchee's ban hasn't stopped growers from starting up just outside of city limits. The area is already home to a handful of marijuana producers, and 16 more have applied for licenses, according to Washington Liquor Control Board data.

As the community adjusts to legal weed's potential impacts, entrepreneurs are charging ahead, navigating the risks and regulations of the new industry.

Read more: Where pot is legal: Agricultural city makes room for a new crop