WSLCB - Board Caucus
(June 26, 2018)

Here are some observations from the Tuesday June 26th Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) Board Caucus.

My top 3 takeaways:

• WSLCB Policy and Rules Coordinator Joanna Eide briefed the Board on current rulemaking (transcript, audio).
  • WSLCB is receiving comments on the 2017 omnibus legislation rulemaking, with most interest focused on volume discount privileges.
  • The CR 102 for 2018 legislation (HB 2334) continues to churn. Determining testing requirements and integration of extra-502 CBD into the traceability system has introduced challenges (transcript, audio).
  • Retail license forfeiture rules went into effect July 1st. The retail license certificate rules have been drafted based on interim policy the Board already adopted. Eide anticipates their final draft will be presented before the end of July (transcript, audio).
• Board Member Russ Hauge discussed highlights from the medical home delivery study (transcript, audio).
  • Member Hauge talked about last week’s stakeholder meeting, mentioning the state’s past focus on a single cannabis market rather than separate recreational/medical markets. “I don’t think we’re practically in a situation where we can say only medical products can be delivered, because people may need other things and there aren’t that many medi-, medical products out there. But if this is going to be anything other than just a delivery system by another name, we’re going to have to have that integrity in the process.”
  • Hauge assumes delivery policies focused on compliant products could benefit patients “And maybe if we do something like this, it might provide some incentive to retailers to carry a few medical products.”
  • Chair Jane Rushford: “I want to be extremely careful about tax structures and whatnot, but I think that there’s potentially opportunity that way, too. You know, but that’s that’s not our decision to make but I think we can, we have enough street, street cred to be able to make some recommendations.”
• Board Member Ollie Garrett discussed progress with the minority and small business workgroup (transcript, audio).
  • Garrett received significant feedback including: interest in adding a minority business representative to the Cannabis Advisory Council; agreement on the need to update licensee demographics; refining how the Board considers licensee requests to better vet industry/regulator impact. Garrett described minority and small businesses as hurting, but was unsure what WSLCB’s role should be.