On Monday, legislators in both chambers planned to review social equity within the cannabis industry, medical marijuana, a proposed cannabis commission, and the WSLCB’s status.
Here’s a look at cannabis-related policymaking events on the calendar in the week ahead.
Monday December 30th
On Monday at 8:00am PT, a Washington State Senate Labor and Commerce Committee (WA Senate LBRC) Work Session was scheduled to occur.
- [ Event Details ]
- WA Senate LBRC previously convened on September 28th to hear an update from the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB).
- Monday’s work session would be devoted to briefings and discussion on “Recreational cannabis, medical cannabis, and social equity within the cannabis industry.”
- The session would begin with and spend a majority of time on the challenge of increasing social equity amongst ownership of cannabis businesses in Washington state. Presuming that the agenda represents the order in which speakers would be called:
- Senator Rebecca Saldaña, a member of WA Senate LBRC and the Senate Democrat appointee to the Washington State Legislative Task Force on Social Equity in Cannabis (WA Task Force on Social Equity in Cannabis), would begin the discussion with a briefing on the work of the Task Force accompanied by Christy Curwick Hoff, a Washington State Board of Health (SBOH) Health Policy Advisor who staffs the Washington State Governor’s Interagency Council on Health Disparities, which in turn is responsible for staffing the Task Force [ presentation ] .
- At publication time, the Task Force’s second public meeting was planned for December 14th.
- A panel of members from Black Excellence in Cannabis (BEC) would follow [ presentation ], and then Sami Saad speaking as a citizen.
- Washington State Commission on African American Affairs (CAAA) Commissioner Paula Sardinas, elected Co-Chair of WA Task Force on Social Equity in Cannabis, would speak next [ handout ].
- WSLCB Director of Legislative Relations Chris Thompson would follow [ presentation, handout on the merger of medical and recreational markets ].
- The Association of Washington Cities (AWC) would be granted a panel featuring Government Relations Advocate Sharon Swanson and their appointee to the WA Task Force on Social Equity in Cannabis, Cherie MacLeod, Strategic Advisor to the City of Seattle and their Cannabis Program Coordinator.
- Finally, Senators would hear a presentation from National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Health Program Director Karmen Hanson on “Social Equity in State Regulated Cannabis Programs.”
- Senator Rebecca Saldaña, a member of WA Senate LBRC and the Senate Democrat appointee to the Washington State Legislative Task Force on Social Equity in Cannabis (WA Task Force on Social Equity in Cannabis), would begin the discussion with a briefing on the work of the Task Force accompanied by Christy Curwick Hoff, a Washington State Board of Health (SBOH) Health Policy Advisor who staffs the Washington State Governor’s Interagency Council on Health Disparities, which in turn is responsible for staffing the Task Force [ presentation ] .
- Turning to medical cannabis, committee members would hear from two advocates:
- Mary Brown, SMJ Consulting Executive Director and Lead Consultant and Advanced Integrative Medical Science Institute (AIMS Institute) Cannabinoid Therapy Educator.
- Brown last addressed legislators in November 2018 and called attention to “the lack of compliant medical cannabis products on the market and warned against banning edible product types which patients rely on.” In the fall of 2019, Brown was an appointed member of the WSLCB’s Cannabis Potency Tax Work Group.
- Lukas Barfield, cannabis patient advocate.
- Barfield is a patient representative on the WSLCB’s Cannabis Advisory Council (CAC) and member of the Tacoma Area Commission on Disabilities. He is also the co-host of Cannabis Corner on RadioTacoma.
- The CAC last met in December 2019. Tentatively scheduled to meet in late September, that event was cancelled and no efforts have been made to reschedule.
- Barfield is a patient representative on the WSLCB’s Cannabis Advisory Council (CAC) and member of the Tacoma Area Commission on Disabilities. He is also the co-host of Cannabis Corner on RadioTacoma.
- Mary Brown, SMJ Consulting Executive Director and Lead Consultant and Advanced Integrative Medical Science Institute (AIMS Institute) Cannabinoid Therapy Educator.
- Wrapping up, the committee members would hear from two proponents of a Cannabis Research Commission:
- Lara Kaminsky, The Cannabis Alliance Government Affairs Liaison, Co-Founder, and former Executive Director.
- Alan Schrieber, Washington Asparagus Commission Executive Director and Washington Blueberry Commission Executive Director.
- Last session, HB 1974 was progressed farther than any previous cannabis commission bill. It was granted a public hearing in the Washington State House Appropriations Committee (WA House APP) on February 8th and recommended by that body to the Washington State House Rules Committee (WA House RUL). The bill was not subsequently scheduled for a floor vote.
On Monday at 1:30pm PT, a Washington State House Commerce and Gaming Committee (WA House COG) Work Session was scheduled to occur.
- [ Event Details ]
- WA House COG previously convened on September 15th to hear about “cannabis potency policy considerations” and related scientific research.
- On Monday afternoon, committee members will hear two cannabis-related items among others.
- WA Task Force on Social Equity in Cannabis Co-Chair Melanie Morgan, a member of WA House COG, would provide an update on the Task Force.
- WSLCB leadership, including Director Rick Garza, will provide a report “on the implementation of previously enacted legislation, significant regulatory issues, and legislative priorities for 2021.”
Tuesday December 1st
On Tuesday, the WSLCB COVID Legal/Policy/Rules Meeting was scheduled to recur.
- Agency staff leadership, Board Chair Jane Rushford, and Assistant Attorney General Bruce Turcott convene multiple times per week via webinar to discuss policy-related questions raised in the context of the pandemic.
- Originally having met daily every work day, the schedule of meetings was shifted to 3x per week (M, W, F) on June 10th. It’s our understanding that the meeting cadence was further stepped down to 2x per week (T, Th). Once we confirm the contemporary schedule, we’ll resume documenting these events.
On Tuesday at 10am PT, the weekly WSLCB Board Caucus was scheduled to recur.
- [ Event Details ]
On Tuesday at 1:30pm PT, a Washington State House State Government and Tribal Relations Committee (WA House SGOV) Work Session was scheduled to occur.
- [ Event Details ]
- Committee members were scheduled to hear an update on the Washington State Office of Equity (WA Equity) from leadership and staff of the Office of Equity Task Force.
- The Washington State Governor’s Interagency Council on Health Disparities hosted the last meeting of the Office of Equity Task Force on July 29th. Members met following the Legislature’s choice to create WA Equity, a victory diminished by the Governor’s choice to not fund the entity. The Task Force’s Final Proposal was subsequently published on September 23rd.
- Aside from the value of an Office of Equity focused on dismantling systemic racism within state government could have offered in the intervening months, the new entity could have taken on staffing of the WA Task Force on Social Equity in Cannabis - one of the primary reasons why the Task Force’s work was initially delayed by several months.
Wednesday December 2nd
On Wednesday at 1:30pm PT, the three-member Board and agency leadership were scheduled to convene their weekly WSLCB Executive Management Team (EMT) meeting.
- [ Event Details ]
- In discussion about diminished transparency at the WSLCB during the Board Caucus on November 24th, Board Chair Jane Rushford stated that the next EMT meeting was planned for December 9th. Accordingly, we expect this event will be cancelled.