As the state recognized the 4th of July holiday during turbulent times, regulators may take steps to renew progress towards the minimum social equity program imagined for the cannabis sector.
Here’s a look at cannabis-related policymaking events on the calendar in the week ahead.
Monday July 4th
The State of Washington recognizes the Independence Day holiday.
Tuesday July 5th
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 ]
- The WSLCB Board Caucus on June 28th was cancelled.
Wednesday July 6th
WSLCB - Board Meeting
On Wednesday at 10am PT, the bi-weekly WSLCB Board Meeting was scheduled to recur.
- [ Event Details ]
- Several active rulemaking projects could be progressed or completed on Wednesday. On May 10th, Policy and Rules Manager Kathy Hoffman indicated the effort to modernize Electronic Service procedures could be completed with the filing of a CR-103 on July 6th.
- On July 1st, all statutory references to the term ‘marijuana’ were changed to ‘cannabis’ in the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) as the modifications described in HB 1210 went into effect. In the parts of the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) controlled by the WSLCB, similar changes could be finalized on Wednesday with the filing of a CR-103 for the HB 1210 Implementation rulemaking project which was mentioned on April 27th.
- At the request of WSLCB staff, legislators incorporated a requirement into HB 1210 that the agency undertake expedited rulemaking to implement the bill, bypassing most of the administrative procedures normally required for rulemaking through the issuance of a CR-105 rather than a CR-101 followed by a CR-102. The filing of proposed rules in the CR-105 initiated a 45-day comment period during which substantive concerns about the proposed rulemaking could be lodged. But in the absence of protest, the rulemaking could bypass normal public comment procedures and jump to incorporation of the proposed changes through the filing of a CR-103.
- Additionally on Wednesday, we may see revised proposed rules for the Social Equity rulemaking project if Hoffman is prepared to re-file a CR-102 as mentioned on June 15th.
- The original CR-102 containing proposed rules for a social equity program establishing a new retail licensing window were withdrawn with little explanation on May 11th. At the time, Hoffman indicated more “research and analysis” was needed and suggested revised rules could be filed as early as June 22nd.
- When asked directly about the delay on June 15th, Hoffman “deferred” to licensing staff who were “making sure the legislation was being implemented in the spirit of the legislation in which it was created.” She commented that since the “summer of 2020” when she began her role as manager of the Policy and Rules team, “my lens has always been social equity” which she argued was something staff hadn’t been accustomed to evaluating. Hoffman’s policy development used a “metric” that included diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) and applied it to all petitions for rulemaking her team received and rules her team created. “Will this rule change result in socially equitable conditions” remained “at the forefront of my mind,” she indicated, even if it was “a little longer process.”
- Hoffman talked about the WSLCB policy development process at length with the board in October 2021.
- At the subsequent board caucus on June 21st, Hoffman expected the revised CR-102 would be ready for the “first or second board meeting in July.”
Thursday July 7th
At publication time, no cannabis-related policymaking events were scheduled.
Friday July 8th
At publication time, no cannabis-related policymaking events were scheduled.