WSLCB board members were scheduled to consider a comparatively obscured rulemaking petition on “batch tracking” during a busy fall week for cannabis policymaking.
Here’s a look at cannabis-related policymaking events on the calendar in the week ahead.
Monday October 9th
At publication time, no cannabis-related policymaking events were scheduled.
Tuesday October 10th
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 ]
- On Tuesday October 3rd, Research Manager Kathy Hoffman went over how remaining staff would arrange research topics, offer guidance on outlet density, and take over a key work group after her departure from the agency at the end of this week.
Wednesday October 11th
WSLCB - Board Meeting
On Wednesday at 10am PT, the bi-weekly WSLCB Board Meeting was scheduled to recur.
- [ Event Details ]
- During the previous board meeting on September 27th, an update on retail social equity licensing preceded public comments that ranged from praise of the process to accusations of corruption and conflicts of interest.
- On Wednesday, Policy and Rules staff were scheduled to present their recommended action to board members on an unseen rulemaking petition that had only previously been described as pertaining to “batch tracking.”
- While former Policy and Rules Manager Kathy Hoffman had begun publicly briefing board members on rulemaking petitions two weeks prior to their taking formal action on those petitions, at publication time no public briefing had thus far occurred in this case. It was likely Policy and Rules Manager Cassidy West intended to brief board members during the Tuesday October 10th caucus.
- The term “batch tracking” almost certainly pertains to cannabis traceability requirements. On July 10th, WSLCB staff published a request for information (RFI) to develop budgeting plans to potentially acquire a new cannabis traceability platform, a potential fifth platform transition since the beginning of legalization in Washington state. On July 19th, OpenTHC CEO David Busby and I both spoke to current board members about that unfortunate agency legacy.
- The Maine Office of Cannabis Policy published a white paper in April 2023, “Batch Tracking Agreement Reached for Maine’s Adult Use Cannabis Program (AUCP),” which detailed outcomes from contract negotiations with Metrc, the predominant provider of traceability software which Washington State rejected in 2017. The “Flexible Standardized Batch Tracking (FSBT)” approach is described as “a first-in-the-nation tool for the cannabis industry” which would reduce the number of tags producers would be required to purchase from Metrc - but curiously not the commensurate cost of those tags. According to a Metrc Support Bulletin published on August 1st, the new functionality was scheduled to be launched in September.
- Metrc, along with 7 other vendors, submitted a response to the WSLCB RFI.
WSLCB - Focus Group - Product Samples
On Wednesday at 1pm PT, WSLCB staff planned to host a focus group on the Product Samples rulemaking project.
- [ Event Details, Rulemaking Project ]
- The announcement indicated, “The Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) invites cannabis licensees and other interested parties to join in collaborative discussions regarding cannabis samples rulemaking. The discussion will cover alternative regulatory approaches for conducting vendor and educational sampling activities that were developed using responses from cannabis licensee surveys.”
- During the first focus group on Friday October 6th, Policy and Rules Manager Cassidy West presented a draft framework for unified "Trade Samples" and new regulatory requirements to limit exchanges between licensees. WSLCB staff mainly heard feedback from licensees and their representatives advocating for simpler approaches rather than additional rules.
- The State of Oregon provides cannabis licensees with a “Trade Sample Guide” which “explains how trade samples must be tracked and transferred within Metrc in order to remain compliant.”
- No agenda or conceptual draft rules were published prior to the focus group on Friday, so participants were put into a position of responding in the moment. West promised to distribute a slidedeck that was being edited during the call, but it was not published prior to close of business on Friday. Here is a compilation of screenshots captured by Cannabis Observer during the event.
WSLCB - Executive Management Team
On Wednesday at 1:30pm PT, the three-member Board and agency leadership were scheduled to convene their monthly WSLCB Executive Management Team (EMT) meeting.
- [ Event Details ]
- During the September 13th EMT, a legislative briefing outlined expected topics in 2024; a policy and rules update touched on work groups, rulemaking, and staffing; and the recently-hired Executive Director described maintaining his “internal” focus.
Thursday October 12th
WIDAC - Council Meeting
On Thursday at 9:30am PT, the Washington Impaired Driving Advisory Council (WIDAC) planned to convene their monthly meeting.
- [ Event Details ]
- During the July 13th WIDAC meeting, members hosted a presentation from Most Steer Clear, a Positive Community Norms (PCN) campaign focused on reducing youth cannabis use and impaired driving which was getting positive results according to the program manager.
- The WIDAC was formed and is operated by the Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC) which gathers data on traffic fatalities and impaired drivers. Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) researchers used WTSC data from 2008 to 2019 to assert “a shorter drive time to a licensed retailer relate[d] to a modest increase in the number of drivers involved in a fatal crash” in their latest required report on “I-502 and Cannabis-Related Public Health and Safety Outcomes.”
Friday October 13th
At publication time, no cannabis-related policymaking events were scheduled.