Respecting Juneteenth, WSLCB members rescheduled their board meeting to Tuesday and would incidentally consider three rulemaking petitions from social equity applicants.
Here’s a look at cannabis-related policymaking events on the calendar in the week ahead.
Monday June 17th
At publication time, no cannabis-related policymaking events were scheduled.
Tuesday June 18th
WSLCB - Board Caucus
The weekly Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) Board Caucus was cancelled.
- [ Event Details ]
- As the Juneteenth holiday would occur on Wednesday June 19th yet formal agency rulemaking needed to continue on a tight schedule, members scheduled a Special Board Meeting on Tuesday, cancelling the regularly scheduled Board Caucus and Board Meeting to allocate time.
WSLCB - Special Board Meeting
On Tuesday at 10am PT, a WSLCB Special Board Meeting was scheduled.
- [ Event Details ]
- Policy and Rules staff at the agency would present recommendations on four rulemaking petitions for board member consideration.
- Cylindrical Cannabis Packaging [ Rulemaking Petition ]
- The WSLCB website indicated, “the Director's Office will present a recommendation on a Petition for Rulemaking submitted on April 29, 2024 from Michael Lucero regarding amending WAC 314-55-106 regarding the ‘principal display panel’ of cylindrical cannabis packages.”
- Policy and Rules Coordinator Jeff Kildahl briefed board members on the petition on Tuesday June 11th, indicating he would recommend denial as existing agency rules and policy guidance should meet the petitioner’s needs (audio - 3m, Video - TVW, Video - WSLCB).
- Social Equity License Mobility [ Rulemaking Petition 1, Rulemaking Petition 2, Rulemaking Petition 3 ]
- Agency staff received three separate petitions from current social equity applicants calling for increased portability of licenses outside of their assigned jurisdictions.
- From the inception of the regulated marketplace, retail licenses were confined to moving premises within their originally assigned county or city jurisdictions.
- With the legislative creation of a social equity program at WSLCB and passage of HB 2870, the first round of applicants were empowered to move their licenses within the county they were assigned.
- In 2023, legislators passed SB 5080 to adjust subsequent social equity licensing windows in which applicants would be empowered to move their licenses anywhere within the state. At publication time, WSLCB Policy and Rules staff were developing draft rules to implement SB 5080.
- Policy and Rules Manager Cassidy West briefed board members on the petitions on Tuesday June 11th (audio - 3m, Video - TVW, Video - WSLCB). After prompting from Board Member Ollie Garrett, West indicated she would likely recommend accepting the petitions for consideration during the existing SB 5080 rulemaking project (audio - 1m, Video - TVW, Video - WSLCB).
- Agency staff received three separate petitions from current social equity applicants calling for increased portability of licenses outside of their assigned jurisdictions.
- Cylindrical Cannabis Packaging [ Rulemaking Petition ]
- Policy and Rules Coordinator Daniel Jacobs was scheduled to present final rules for adoption from the Retail Medical Cannabis Endorsements rulemaking project [ Rulemaking Project ].
- During the Tuesday June 11th Board Caucus, Jacobs noted that he did not anticipate making any changes to the proposed rules after no one showed up for the public hearing on June 5th (audio - 3m, Video - TVW, Video - WSLCB).
- However, it was Cannabis Observer’s understanding that less significant changes suggested by the Cannabis Alliance may still be under consideration.
Wednesday June 19th
The State of Washington recognizes the Juneteenth National Independence Day holiday.
- On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger ordered the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas at the end of the American Civil War enabling enslaved peoples there to begin learning of their freedom. Celebrations commemorating the occasion began in Texas the following year and the State holiday was first formally encoded by proclamation in 1938. By 1979, every U.S. state and the District of Columbia recognized the holiday. In 2021, President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law establishing June 19th as an annual federal holiday.
- On Saturday June 17th, 2 people were killed and 14 injured when gunfire erupted during the annual Juneteenth celebration in Round Rock, Texas just north of the state capital.
WSLCB - Board Meeting
The bi-weekly WSLCB Board Meeting was cancelled.
- [ Event Details ]
Thursday June 20th
At publication time, no cannabis-related policymaking events were scheduled.
Friday June 21st
At publication time, no cannabis-related policymaking events were scheduled.