The Week Ahead
(June 16, 2025)

The Week Ahead (June 16, 2025) - City of Lynnwood - Cannabis Retail Zoning Map

As WSLCB prepared to allow minors on licensed business premises, City of Lynnwood officials would receive a visit from their state legislator about their intention to open up to cannabis retail.

Here’s a look at cannabis-related policymaking events on the calendar in the week ahead.

Monday June 16th

DOH - Training - Medical Cannabis Registry - Consultants A

On Monday at 1pm PT, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) Medical Cannabis Program planned to conduct a training on the revamped Medical Cannabis Registry.

  • [ Event Details ]
  • A dedicated team at DOH were responsible for managing the medical cannabis program, and had undertaken the replacement of the Airlift patient registration platform with a new Medical Cannabis Registry:
    • “We will soon transition to a brand-new patient registry called the Medical Cannabis Registry (MCR or registry), that will replace the current Airlift system. While this will be a major transition, the new system vastly improves and expands the capacity of Airlift. It retains the current roles and tasks of the endorsed stores, while adding accounts and services for patients. We believe you will come to appreciate the increased functionality and automation the new registry offers!“
    • cloudPWR CEO Shadrach White, the Airlift vendor, reached out to Cannabis Observer after publication to note, "The registry operated for 10yrs. and 4 months with zero downtime and zero data breaches. WSDOH mandated us to configure our software against our recommendations in 2016. The DOH functional requirements created numerous challenges for users and were in direct contradiction to our suggestions."
  • By the end of the week, DOH medical cannabis program staff would complete 26 training opportunities for six different constituencies with the assistance of staff from the vendor, Visual Vault.
    • Retail Medical Cannabis “Consultants”
      • Training for consultants was divided into two parts (A and B); part A covers a review of training materials whereas part B offers an optional opportunity for follow up questions.
    • Retailers (“Store Owners/Delegates”)
    • “Budtenders” (and non-consultant “Employees”)
    • “Patients”
    • “Law Enforcement”
    • “Healthcare Providers”
  • At publication time, the transition to the new MCR was scheduled for June 30th with the official switchover on July 1st.  It’s Cannabis Observer’s understanding that presentation materials from the training sessions would be published on the DOH MCR website by the end of the month.
  • Access the full list of training opportunities on the DOH or Cannabis Observer website.

DOH - Training - Medical Cannabis Registry - Patients

On Monday at 3:30pm PT, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) Medical Cannabis Program planned to conduct a training on the revamped Medical Cannabis Registry.

  • [ Event Details ]
  • The patient training was also geared towards designated providers.

DOH - Training - Medical Cannabis Registry - Consultants A

On Monday at 5pm PT, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) Medical Cannabis Program planned to conduct a training on the revamped Medical Cannabis Registry.

  • [ Event Details ]
  • Training for consultants was divided into two parts (A and B); part A covers a review of training materials whereas part B offers an optional opportunity for follow up questions.

City of Lynnwood - City Council - Work Session

On Monday at 6pm PT, the Lynnwood City Council (City of Lynnwood - City Council) planned to host a work session.

  • [ Event Details ]
  • In September 2024, Lynnwood City Council Member George Hurst introduced a motion requesting that the Lynnwood Planning Commission research and offer a recommendation to allow cannabis retail stores to locate within the City by March 31st.  The motion was approved 4-3 and reproduced in the meeting minutes.
  • After many meetings, commissioners took up an action item to approve a draft recommendation on Thursday March 27th and heard a presentation from WSLCB Licensing staff on the social equity program.
  • On Monday April 21st, councilmembers took up the recommendation during their work session and reviewed a map of the recommended zones to allow cannabis retailers to locate within city limits.  As councilmembers still had questions and staff required more specificity, the body scheduled additional time to consider the matter at their business meeting on Monday April 28th.  According to the staff report, “City Council affirmed that retail cannabis should be allowed within Lynnwood and approved a project schedule for Council consideration of an ordinance on September 22, 2025.”
  • During a follow up work session on Monday May 5th, councilmembers developed a “list of additional items and considerations for review. This would include additional map review of required buffers.”  During the work session on Monday evening, staff planned to review their responses to the councilmember questions and present zoning maps for discussion.
  • Somewhat unusually, Representative Lauren Davis was listed as a presenter alongside City staff for the hour-long work session agenda item, but was not otherwise mentioned in the meeting materials.
    • At publication time, Davis was one of the elected officials representing District 32, which included the City of Lynnwood, in the Washington State House of Representatives.
    • Davis had earned a reputation as an opponent of cannabis legalization in Washington state, and successfully passed HB 2320 (High THC Products) in 2024.  Beyond the Pacific Northwest, in 2022 Davis was a founding member of the Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions (FDPS), an affiliate of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), arguably the most notorious anti-cannabis policy organization in the United States.
      • In January 2024, SAM staff members dialed in to offer public testimony advocating for the passage of HB 2320.
      • SAM materials had been submitted as attachments to written comments to the City of Lynnwood Planning Commission during their deliberations on opening up the City to retail cannabis businesses.

Tuesday June 17th

DOH - Training - Medical Cannabis Registry - Budtenders

On Tuesday at 10am PT, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) Medical Cannabis Program planned to conduct a training on the revamped Medical Cannabis Registry.

  • [ Event Details ]
  • Training for budtenders was also geared towards retail employees more generally.

WSLCB - Board Caucus

On Tuesday at 10am PT, the weekly Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) Board Caucus was scheduled to recur.

  • [ Event Details ]
  • According to the agenda, board members would be prepared for rulemaking at the board meeting on the following day.

DOH - Training - Medical Cannabis Registry - Consultants B

On Tuesday at 1pm PT, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) Medical Cannabis Program planned to conduct a training on the revamped Medical Cannabis Registry.

  • [ Event Details ]
  • Training for consultants was divided into two parts (A and B); part A covers a review of training materials whereas part B offers an optional opportunity for follow up questions.

DOH - Training - Medical Cannabis Registry - Consultants B

On Tuesday at 5pm PT, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) Medical Cannabis Program planned to conduct a training on the revamped Medical Cannabis Registry.

  • [ Event Details ]
  • Training for consultants was divided into two parts (A and B); part A covers a review of training materials whereas part B offers an optional opportunity for follow up questions.

Wednesday June 18th

DOH - Training - Medical Cannabis Registry - Healthcare Providers

On Wednesday at 8:30am PT, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) Medical Cannabis Program planned to conduct a training on the revamped Medical Cannabis Registry.

DOH - Training - Medical Cannabis Registry - Consultants A

On Wednesday at 10am PT, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) Medical Cannabis Program planned to conduct a training on the revamped Medical Cannabis Registry.

  • [ Event Details ]
  • Training for consultants was divided into two parts (A and B); part A covers a review of training materials whereas part B offers an optional opportunity for follow up questions.

DOH YCCTPP - Training - High THC Products

On Wednesday at 10am PT, the Washington State Department of Health Youth Cannabis and Commercial Tobacco Prevention Program (DOH YCCTPP) had planned to host a closed webinar on their budtender training regime, but rescheduled the event.

  • [ Event Details ]
  • The DOH YCCTPP coordinates resources towards prevention and cessation of commercial tobacco and cannabis use. Regarding cannabis, staff implement the Washington Recovery Help Line, fund the non-profit Washington Poison Center (WAPC), and distribute local grants while creating prevention and education programming such as media campaigns and outreach to priority populations, including adults within cannabis retail environments.
  • The week prior, DOH YCCTPP staff and contractor Rede Group hosted two focus groups with budtenders and retailers as part of the agency response to a provision in the 2024 session law HB 2320 (High THC Products) which read:
    • “By July 1, 2025, the department of health must develop an optional training that cannabis retail staff may complete to better understand the health and safety impacts of high THC cannabis products. In developing the optional training, the department of health must consult with cannabis retail staff, cannabis consumers, persons who have been harmed by high THC products, health care providers, prevention professionals, researchers with relevant expertise, behavioral health providers, and representatives of licensed cannabis businesses.”
    • Learn more about DOH YCCTPP and the Rede Group.
  • While Cannabis Observer did not attempt to participate in the focus groups, it’s our understanding that the intended budtender training materials had already been devised and were presented to attendees for feedback.
    • Some attendees Cannabis Observer spoke to expressed surprise at the subjects covered, such as the emphasis in the final module on cannabis use disorder (CUD) and other asserted health harms.  Others expressed surprise at the subjects not covered: no reference was made to the human endocannabinoid system which compounds in cannabis interact with.
    • It’s Cannabis Observer’s understanding that the Rede Group, based in Oregon and contracted to devise the materials, had not reached out to academic institutions nor private companies in Washington state which had already developed cannabis retail employee training curricula and been educating budtenders for years.
  • Around the same time that the focus groups were announced, the Rede Group separately announced their intention to host a closed training program for public health and prevention community stakeholders offering a “Preview of high-THC training for retail cannabis workers (budtenders): What you need to know and how you can help.”
    • Per the DOH YCCTPP and Rede Group policy regarding their training webinars, "These sessions are for the YCCTPP, as well as other DOH contractors, subcontractors, and partners, including prevention and research partners. It is not open to anyone from the Cannabis industry."
  • After the budtender focus group, the follow-up training webinar was rescheduled to Wednesday June 25th for undisclosed reasons.  The training regime must be made available to cannabis retailers and their employees by July 1st.

WSLCB - Board Meeting

On Wednesday at 10am PT, the bi-weekly WSLCB Board Meeting was scheduled to recur.

DOH - Training - Medical Cannabis Registry - Consultants B

On Wednesday at 1pm PT, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) Medical Cannabis Program planned to conduct a training on the revamped Medical Cannabis Registry.

  • [ Event Details ]
  • Training for consultants was divided into two parts (A and B); part A covers a review of training materials whereas part B offers an optional opportunity for follow up questions.

DOH - Training - Medical Cannabis Registry - Retailers

On Wednesday at 4pm PT, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) Medical Cannabis Program planned to conduct a training on the revamped Medical Cannabis Registry.

  • [ Event Details ]
  • Training for retailers was intended for licensed business owners or their representatives.

DOH - Training - Medical Cannabis Registry - Budtenders

On Wednesday at 5:30pm PT, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) Medical Cannabis Program planned to conduct a training on the revamped Medical Cannabis Registry.

  • [ Event Details ]
  • Training for budtenders was also geared towards retail employees more generally.

Thursday June 19th

At publication time, no cannabis-related policymaking events were planned.

Friday June 20th

DOH - Training - Medical Cannabis Registry - Patients

On Friday at 10am PT, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) Medical Cannabis Program planned to conduct a training on the revamped Medical Cannabis Registry.

  • [ Event Details ]
  • The patient training was also geared towards designated providers.

DOH - Training - Medical Cannabis Registry - Healthcare Providers

On Friday at 1pm PT, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) Medical Cannabis Program planned to conduct a training on the revamped Medical Cannabis Registry.

DOH - Training - Medical Cannabis Registry - Law Enforcement

On Friday at 5pm PT, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) Medical Cannabis Program planned to conduct a training on the revamped Medical Cannabis Registry.

  • [ Event Details ]
  • Zero law enforcement participants showed up for the first training for law enforcement on Friday June 13th.  DOH staff planned intentional outreach to law enforcement stakeholders in the interim time to drum up interest.