WSLCB - Board Meeting
(August 8, 2018)

Here are some observations from the Wednesday August 8th Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) Board Meeting.

• The Board introduced and approved a CR 101 for Cannabis Quality Assurance Testing and Products Requirements (video, transcript, audio).
  • The process aims to synchronize WSLCB cannabis rules with Department of Health (DOH) medical rules “to encourage testing efficiencies and remove existing barriers that may be present to the availability of compliant products.”
  • The CR 101 is also motivated by WSLCB discussions with industry and the patient community.
  • This is consistent with WSLCB rulemaking from August 2017, during which a statement was made that it “would review testing and lab rules over the next year to determine whether additional changes may be necessary, or advisable.”
  • Potential changes may address: “lot and batch sizes; fields of testing; and pass/fail level adjustments; potency testing requirements; pesticide testing requirements for all cannabis products; heavy metals testing requirements; sample deduction requirements; general testing rule adjustments; product THC serving limits; and packaging requirements and other related rule changes that might be necessary or advisable to accomplish the goals stated in this paper.”
• General Public Comment on licensees was offered by Gregory Foster and Jim MacRae.
  • Foster presented research to clarify the participation rate of licensees in trade associations in Washington State, given inaccurate information observed at recent WSLCB public meetings (video, transcript, audio).
  • MacRae presented research on “potential financial oddities” in sales data recently released by the WSLCB (video, transcript, audio).
• General Public Comment on medical aspects of WSLCB rulemaking were offered by MacRae, Steve Sarich and Don Skakie.
  • MacRae also presented research on declining participation rates in Washington’s medical cannabis program: “There have been 34,000 have signed up over the last two years plus; it’s about 10,000 currently active” (video, transcript, audio).
  • Sarich was encouraged by recent meetings with the WSLCB and DOH around pesticide testing, but recommended issuing public warnings and recalling products from lots that test hot for pesticides (video, transcript, audio).
  • Skakie hailed the approval of the CR 101 and hopes to work with the Board to provide substantive input from the patient community on the process: “…it’s, in my mind, overdue, but things take time, and glad to see that change” (video, transcript, audio).