WSLCB - Board Caucus
(January 3, 2023)

Here are some observations from the Tuesday January 3rd Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) Board Caucus.

My top 3 takeaways:

• Policy and Rules Manager Kathy Hoffman provided rulemaking updates for active projects on canopy (Rulemaking Project) and advertising (Rulemaking Project).
  • Policy and Rules Coordinator Jeff Kildahl was reported to be continuing to work his way through feedback from the CanopyWorld Café events and planned to bring draft conceptual rules to the internal work group in early February (audio - 1m, video - TVW).
    • Board Chair David Postman asked that Kildahl’s distilled input be shared with the board at a future caucus (audio - 1m, video - TVW).
  • Policy and Rules Coordinator Cassidy West was reported to be reviewing former Policy and Rules Coordinator Robert DeSpain’s work on the advertising rulemaking project, and planned to bring her findings to an internal work group in February (audio < 1m, video - TVW).

• Hoffman also described upcoming rulemaking projects on allowing minors on licensed producer and processor premises, product samples, and cloud storage.
  • Hoffman indicated the CR-101 for the minors on licensed P/P premises was scheduled to be introduced at the February 15th board meeting (audio < 1m, video - TVW).
  • Acknowledging she had heard there was “lots of discussion” about cannabis product samples at the Washington CannaBusiness Association (WACA) Legislative Preview Conference on December 13th, Hoffman expected the CR-101 would be presented to the board on February 1st (audio < 1m, video - TVW).
  • Policy and Rules Coordinator Daniel Jacobs, who focused on alcohol rulemaking, would be bringing forward a CR-101 on cloud storage, potentially impacting all licensees, for approval on January 18th (audio < 1m, video - TVW).
    • The CR-101 was based on a petition presented to the board in August 2022.

• Hoffman indicated Policy and Rules Coordinator Jeff Kildahl would be convening the Quality Control (QC) Standards Work Group later that weekon Thursday January 5th (audio - 1m, video - TVW).
  • Board Member Jim Vollendroff inquired about the composition of the work group and its intended purpose (audio - 3m, video - TVW).
    • Kildahl confirmed ten people had been selected for the work group including one participant from the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) prevention community; producers and processors from "both sides of the mountain"; retail inventory managers; and "other people who are medical users" including "a retired nurse."
    • Kildahl elaborated on how the first gathering would focus on introductions and hearing about the interests of participants. He anticipated hosting up to six meetings throughout the year, every other month, to evaluate how the revised pesticide testing rules were working out in practice.