The social equity licensing work group would learn about “Social Consumption Lounges” and the Cannabis Alliance planned to host state officials to discuss crucial contemporary topics.
Here’s a look at cannabis-related policymaking events on the calendar in the week ahead.
Monday September 20th
At publication time, no cannabis-related policymaking events were scheduled.
Tuesday September 21st
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 ]
Wednesday September 22nd
WA SECTF - Work Group - Licensing
On Wednesday at 1pm PT, the Washington State Legislative Task Force on Social Equity in Cannabis Licensing Work Group (WA SECTF - Work Group - Licensing) was scheduled to convene.
- [ Event Details ]
- The licensing work group last met on August 25th, and all three member recommendations for legislative action were adopted by the full task force at its September 14th meeting.
- At the September 22nd meeting, members were scheduled to review outcomes from the September 14th meeting and receive a briefing on “Social Consumption Lounges” led by Bailey Hirschburg.
Thursday September 23rd
The Cannabis Alliance - WA Cannabis Summit - 2021 - State of the State Address
On Thursday at 10am PT, WSLCB Board Chair David Postman was scheduled to present a “State of the State Address” at the Washington State Cannabis Summit hosted by the Cannabis Alliance.
- [ Event Details ]
- Cannabis Observer covers public events and private events where officials are engaged in their official capacities. For private events, we work with the hosts to arrange conditions for observation that are amenable to all parties. In this circumstance, we’ll be observing as usual but will not publish complete audio from the selected events.
- While this is a paid event, the Alliance has created a coupon code for Cannabis Observer readers. Use promo code CannObserv at checkout for $10 off the $30 multi-day pass.
- This may be the first private speaking engagement by Board Chair David Postman since joining the WSLCB in March 2021. It comes at a time when there are many things to address as regards the state of the regulated cannabis marketplace in Washington state.
The Cannabis Alliance - WA Cannabis Summit - 2021 - Outpacing Regulations: Innovation in Cannabinoids
On Thursday at 10:45am PT, WSLCB Policy and Rules Coordinator Kathy Hoffman and other panelists were scheduled to address “Innovation in Cannabinoids” at the Washington State Cannabis Summit hosted by the Cannabis Alliance.
- [ Event Details ]
- Hoffman would be joined by several other panelists:
- Uma Dhanabalan - Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), Dhanabalan promotes cannabis as a treatment option at Uplifting Health and Wellness in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
- David Gang - Director of the Washington State University (WSU) Tissue Imaging, Metabolomics, and Proteomics Laboratory (TIMPL), Gang is also an Associate Professor and Fellow with the WSU Institute of Biological Chemistry. Gang was selected as a panelist for the deliberative dialogues recently arranged by WSLCB staff to discuss “Cannabis Plant Chemisty” in connection with the THC rulemaking project.
- Mitzi Vaughn - a Karr Tuttle Campbell Shareholder and Founding Board Member at the International Cannabis Bar Association, Vaughn also acts as pro bono Counsel for the Cannabis Alliance. Vaughn recently publicly addressed the WSLCB Board to present a claim that Evergreen Herbal did not “manufacture its products with hemp-derived CBD converted into delta-8, or 9, or anything else.”
WSDA - Webinar - Pesticide Licensing Exams
On Thursday at 2:30pm PT, Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) staff planned to host a webinar on the Pesticide Licensing Exams rulemaking project.
- [ Event Details, Rulemaking Project ]
- This will be a repeat of a September 16th webinar during which participants learned that pesticide applicator licensing exam fees are likely to increase from $25 per session to ~$60 per exam. WSDA staff are looking to contract with a software vendor to provide a testing platform, which would be rolled out to a greater number of in-person testing centers across the state than currently provide paper-based exams. Staff are hoping this change, in the works since November 2018, will make scheduling exams easier. After an estimated Winter 2022 rollout, testing results should be immediately available rather than requiring a couple of weeks to process.
WSDA - Webinar - Pesticide Penalties
On Thursday at 3:15pm PT, WSDA staff planned to host a webinar on the Pesticide Penalties rulemaking project.
- [ Event Details, Rulemaking Project ]
- Earlier in the month, WSDA staff announced a reboot of a long-dormant general pesticide penalties rulemaking project. Originally opened in December 2019, Department staff refiled the CR-101 on September 1st with only minor modifications to the intent language which seeks to revise the penalty structure and increase fees for violations.
- This will be a repeat of a September 16th webinar during which WSDA staff described a plan to simplify the penalty matrix and make higher penalties more likely, up to a $7.5K cap in statute, as a "deterrent." However, it’s worth noting that WSDA issued around 80 Administrative Violation Notices (AVNs) in total between 2016 and 2020. A work group will be organized to help staff produce a CR-102 by the end of the year.
Friday September 24th
The Cannabis Alliance - WA Cannabis Summit - 2021 - Opening Keynote
On Friday at 10am PT, Washington State House Representative Tarra Simmons was scheduled to present the Friday morning keynote at the Washington State Cannabis Summit hosted by the Cannabis Alliance.
- [ Event Details ]
- Simmons is Executive Director of Civil Survival, which “organizes people in the state of Washington who have been directly impacted by the criminal justice system to build connections, gain knowledge and increase political participation.” As an elected Representative, she helped move SB 5476 (“Addressing the State v. Blake decision”) regarding the Washington State Supreme Court decision in the Washington State v. Shannon Blake case which found the State statute criminalizing drug possession unconstitutional.
The Cannabis Alliance - WA Cannabis Summit - 2021 - Fortifying Washington State in Preparation for Federalization
On Friday at 1:45pm PT, several Washington state officials were scheduled to address “Fortifying Washington State in Preparation for Federalization” at the Washington State Cannabis Summit hosted by the Cannabis Alliance.
- [ Event Details ]
- Michael Corriea - National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) Director of Government Relations
- Rick Garza - WSLCB Director
- Shelley Kloba - As an elected State Representative, Kloba chairs the Washington State House Commerce and Gaming Committee (WA House COG), the primary House committee hearing legislation impacting the cannabis sector.
- Sheri Sawyer - As a Washington State Office of the Governor Senior Policy Advisor, Sawyer provides oversight of, and is a primary point of contact for, the executive agencies tasked with regulating cannabis in Washington state.