WA House COG - Committee Meeting
(January 16, 2020)

Here are some observations from the Thursday January 16th Washington State House Commerce and Gaming Committee (WA House COG) Committee Meeting.

• The House Commerce and Gaming Committee hosted public hearings on two new cannabis bills beginning with HB 2263, “Expanding opportunities for marijuana businesses by removing residency barriers and providing access to capital for minority and women-owned businesses through a fee on certain investments.”
  • Committee Report
    • By Kyle Raymond, WA House COG Committee Staff (audio - 7m, video)
    • Bill Text (Dec 18, 2019)
    • House Bill Analysis (Jan 15, 2020)
    • Fiscal Note (Jan 15, 2020)
  • Pro (4)
    • Vicki Christophersen, Washington CannaBusiness Association (WACA) Executive Director and Lobbyist (audio - 4m, video)
    • Chris Marr, Principal at Chris Marr Government Affairs “representing  GrowOp Farms and Brightleaf Holdings” (audio - 3m, video)
      • Former state senator and WSLCB Board Member
    • Mindon Win, botanicaSeattle Chief of Staff (audio - 2m, video)
      • The testimony from the panel of Christophersen, Marr, and Win prompted questions from Representative Melanie Morgan on the potential for increased competition and the concerns combined in the bill (audio - 7m, video).
      • Follow up question from Representative Morgan on the number of licenses available for social equity applicants (audio - 3m, video)
    • Chris Lynch, Miller Nash Graham & Dunn Associate (audio - 3m, video)
  • Con (9)
    • Micah Sherman, Raven Owner (audio - 3m, video)
    • Bethany Rondeaux, Falcanna Co-Owner (audio - 2m, video)
    • Caitlein Ryan, The Cannabis Alliance Board President (audio - 2m, video)
    • Crystal Oliver, Washington SunGrowers Industry Association (WSIA) Executive Director (audio - 3m, video)
      • Washington’s Finest Cannabis Co-Owner
    • Shawn DeNae Wagenseller, Washington Bud Company Co-Owner (audio - 4m, video)
      • Craft Cannabis Coalition (CCC) Board Member
      • Washington State Cannabis Commission Action Committee Chair
    • Paula Sardinas, Washington State Commission on African American Affairs (CAAA) Commissioner (audio - 4m, video)
    • Peter Manning, Black Excellence in Cannabis (BEC, audio - 3m, video)
    • Aaron Barfield, Black Excellence in Cannabis (audio - 3m, video)
      • Emerald Haze Co-Owner
      • The testimony from the panel of Sardinas, Manning, and Barfield prompted Representative Steve Kirby to ask Sardinas to elaborate on her comments (audio - 1m, video).
      • Representative Morgan noted she had spoken with Barfield (audio - 1m, video).
    • Will Hausa, CAA Chairman (audio - 3m, video)
  • Other (2)
    • Samantha Grad, UFCW 21 (audio - 1m, video)
    • Brian Hatfield, Department of Commerce Director of Economic Development, Forest Products Sector “and newly minted Cannabis Sector lead” (audio - 2m, video)
      • Given Commerce’s critical role in the proposed legislation Representative Shelly Kloba asked Hatfield to elaborate on his hesitation to endorse the bill (audio - 1m, video).
      • Representative Bill Jenkin asked Hatfield if he thought the bill could be modified to resolve conflicting industry perspectives (audio - 3m, video).
• The Committee moved on to consider HB 2361, “Concerning cannabis industry workplace standards.”
  • Committee Report
    • By Peter Clodfelter, WA House COG Committee Counsel (audio - 2m, video)
      • Bill Text (Jan 10, 2020)
      • House Bill Analysis (Jan 16, 2020)
      • Fiscal Note (Jan 15, 2020)
  • Strom Peterson, the bill’s primary sponsor and newly appointed chair of the COG Committee, offered introductory remarks (audio - 2m, video)
  • Pro (5)
    • Josh Hymer, Have a Heart Budtender and Medical Cannabis Consultant (audio - 2m, video)
    • Amirah Harris, former LUCID Budtender (audio - 3m, video)
    • Tom Blayney, former cannabis lab technician (audio - 2m, video)
    • Vlad Gutman-Britten, Washington State Labor Council Lobbyist (WSLC, signed in)
      • Climate Solutions Washington Director
    • Majken Ryherd, Teamsters Joint Council 28 Lobbyist (signed in)
      • Principal at Waypoint Consulting Group
  • Con (25)
    • Maryam Mirnateghi, Canna West Seattle Owner (audio - 4m, video)
    • Zahra Kohl, Kohl Processing Enterprises (American Hash Makers) Co-Owner (audio - 2m, video)
    • Micah Sherman (audio - 2m, video)
    • Daniela Bernhard, Uncle Ike’s Co-Owner (audio - 3m, video)
    • Chris Bell, Doghouse (audio - 3m, video)
    • Daniel Fulcher, Kohl Processing Enterprises (audio - 1m, video)
    • Julia Lee, Uncle Ike’s Operations Coordinating Analyst (audio - 2m, video)
    • Gareth Kautz, High End Marketplace Owner (audio - 2m, video)
    • Kyle Capizzi, CCC Executive Director (audio - 2m, video)
    • Shawn DaNae Wagenseller (audio - 2m, video)
    • Bethany Rondeaux (audio - 2m, video)
    • Laurel Friesen, Heylo Cannabis Founder and CEO (audio - 2m, video)
    • Caitlein Ryan (audio - 1m, video)
      • The testimony from the panel of Rondeaux, Friesen, and Ryan led Ranking Member Drew MacEwen to confirm the potential for “broader national corporatization” of cannabis should both HB 2263 and HB 2361 become law (audio - 1m, video)
    • Giana Lampreda, WAM Oil COO and Co-Founder (audio - 2m, video)
    • Brandon Hamilton,  WAM Oil CEO and Co-Founder (audio - 3m, video)
    • Crystal Oliver (audio - 1m, video)
    • Stacy Richards, Doc Croc (audio - 2m, video)
    • Mark Ambler, Tier 1 Producers Association (T1PA) Founder (audio - 2m, video)
    • Jeremy Moberg, CannaSol Farms Owner (audio - 2m, video)
      • WSIA President and Founder
    • Liz Hallock, Sweet Relief Cannabis Company Owner (audio - 3m, video)
    • Bruce Beckett, Washington Retail Association (WRA) Lobbyist (signed in)
    • Jon Britt, High 5 Cannabis (signed in)
    • Andrew Kohl, Kohl Processing Enterprises (signed in)
    • Bill Wagenseller, Washington Bud Company Co-Owner (signed in)
    • Logan Walker (signed in)
  • Other (4)
    • Vicki Christophersen (audio - 2m, video)
    • Sean O'Sullivan, Velicahn, Inc. (Kushman’s) Contract Lobbyist (audio - 2m, video)
      • Pacific Northwest Regional Strategies Managing Partner
    • Joshua Estes, Green Lady, Inc. (signed in)
      • Pacific Northwest Regional Strategies Managing Partner
    • Chad Ritter, ACS Enterprises, Inc. (Clear Choice Cannabis) Director (signed in)
• Later that day, SB 6085---the identical companion bill to HB 2263---was removed from the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee’s schedule of public hearings.
  • Newly appointed Senator Derek Stanford, the Chair of the House Commerce and Gaming Committee in 2019 and a member of the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee (LBRC), was the primary sponsor of SB 6085. He pre-filed his bill on December 18th. Representative Eric Pettigrew, the House Majority Caucus Chair and primary sponsor of HB 2263, pre-filed his bill on December 24th.
  • The Senate version of the bill, SB 6085, was scheduled to receive its initial public hearing in LBRC on Thursday January 23rd, first among five cannabis-related bills to be heard that day. That scheduling decision was publicly announced on Wednesday January 15th, the day before HB 2263’s hearing.
  • After the 8am Thursday January 16th public hearing for HB 2263, a scheduling change announcement was emailed which indicated SB 6085 had been “Removed from Public Hearing” by the late afternoon.
  • At publication time, four other cannabis-related bills remained on the Senate LBRC committee’s initial slate of new 2020 cannabis legislation:
    • SB 6393 - “Concerning cannabis industry workplace standards.” (the Senate companion bill to HB 2361)
    • SB 6057 - “Concerning price differentials in the sale of marijuana.”
    • SB 6033 - “Concerning the safety and security of retail marijuana outlets.”
    • SB 6269 - “Authorizing marijuana retailers to sell cannabidiol products.”