Director of Licensing and Regulation Becky Smith and Compliance and Policy Manager Nicola Reid presented WSLCB’s revised second issue brief.
- (audio – 42m, transcript)
- In our last edibles update (Nov 27), we drew attention to the WSLCB statement that “…a final draft [of the issue brief] will be brought before the Board on November 28th to be considered for approval” – yet the board meeting agenda was silent on this topic.
- At that time, engaged stakeholders had just provided feedback to the WSLCB, so we admitted: “…it could be worthwhile for agency staff and the Board to take more than two working days to incorporate feedback from trade associations – and the public.”
- As it turned out, WSLCB staffers did present a revised issue brief to the Board on the 28th – during the weekly Executive Management Team (EMT) meeting. EMT meetings and the Board’s weekly caucuses are not broadcast nor recorded by the agency and have no readily accessible documentation of the content of their proceedings. Cannabis Observer was present.
- During the presentation and discussion, Smith and Reid described the history and specifics of the agency’s dialogue with the engaged trade associations (WACA, CORE, and The Cannabis Alliance).
- Smith and Reid then walked through their second draft issue brief which outlined the agency’s response to feedback from the trade associations. As the trade associations were no longer united in their positions, the ten-page memo described responses for WACA/CORE separately from responses to The Cannabis Alliance.
- At this point, the agency had already decided the concessions they were willing to make (e.g., three accent colors instead of one) and the positions they would hold firm (e.g., “dull” shall be defined by Merriam-Webster).