USA - Washington

Staff shared rulemaking progress including upcoming outreach events, a new petition on cannabis testing results, and a timeline for implementing social equity legislation.

During a busy week for the WSLCB Board, staff continued to make up for cancelled meetings, turnover, and vacancies as they negotiated a significant number of parallel rulemaking efforts.

Board members delved into survey responses detailing selected social equity applicant demographics, then themes and possible improvements from their own staff focus groups.

During an eerily quiet week for cannabis policymaking, WSLCB staff might decide to bring the board caucus back to life after it had been cancelled for three weeks in a row.

The board approved the start of a rulemaking project on retail medical endorsements, heard a status report on social equity applicants, and impressions of an ongoing prevention summit.

WSLCB staff planned to ask board members to begin rulemaking efforts on Retail Medical Cannabis Endorsements and to expand the Social Equity Program as encoded in SB 5080.

A researcher presented a new WTSC survey on peoples’ behaviors and impressions of Washington state traffic, with several responses pertaining to cannabis use and driving.

A briefing on biometric data being used for alcohol sales raised many questions for lawmakers as WSLCB staff spoke to implications of current and wider use of the technology.

Licensees gave another round of feedback to agency staff engaged in rulemaking on how to set limits and requirements for cannabis product sampling by retail staff.

As the WSLCB Board recovered time lost to illness, Traffic Safety Commission members would consider survey data on driving behaviors, including perceptions of “drug influenced” drivers.