The Week Ahead
(May 6, 2024)

The Cannabis Alliance - Washington State Cannabis Summit - 2024

After a full week of WSLCB board activity, the Cannabis Alliance planned to host the ninth annual Washington State Cannabis Summit to engage with contemporary cannabis issues.

Here’s a look at cannabis-related policymaking events on the calendar in the week ahead.

Monday May 6th

At publication time, no cannabis-related policymaking events were scheduled.

Tuesday May 7th

WSLCB - Board Caucus

On Tuesday at 10am PT, the weekly Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) Board Caucus was scheduled to recur.

Wednesday May 8th

WSLCB - Board Meeting

On Wednesday at 10am PT, the bi-weekly WSLCB Board Meeting was scheduled to recur.

  • [ Event Details ]
  • As of April 23rd, WSLCB staff planned to introduce a rulemaking project on Payment Terms at the Board Meeting on Wednesday.
    • A rulemaking petition by Raven Founder Micah Sherman “to allow checks to be mailed within a few days of the delivery” was accepted by board members in March 2023.  The petition indicated, “Currently checks are not allowed to be mailed and it causes unnecessary logistical issues.  With this simple change we can allow a [cash on delivery] COD system to continue without the check being required to be handed to the delivery driver, who is often a 3rd party.”
  • At publication time, the board had accepted four other rulemaking petitions for potential consideration:
  • Harvest or Processing Date [ Rulemaking Petition ]
  • Heavy Metals Testing [ Rulemaking Petition ]
  • As well, the board had two other rulemaking petitions it was required to take action on, both scheduled for consideration at the May 22nd Board Meeting:
    • Banning Disposable Vapor Product Cartridges
    • Employee Stock Ownership Plans

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 ]
  • The board cancelled the monthly March and April EMT meetings, choosing not to reschedule either.
    • The EMT meeting, during which staff leadership can be held accountable by providing public updates on the work of their divisions, does not require a board quorum to convene as no formal actions are taken.
    • Prior to 2022, WSLCB hosted EMT meetings weekly.  After cancelling those events with increasing frequency, the agency switched to a monthly cadence.

Thursday May 9th

At publication time, no cannabis-related policymaking events were scheduled.

Friday May 10th

The Cannabis Alliance - WA Cannabis Summit - 2024

On Friday at 9am PT, the Cannabis Alliance planned to host their ninth annual Washington State Cannabis Summit.

  • [ Summit Details ]
  • While the Cannabis Alliance is a trade association, Cannabis Observer works in coordination with private entities that host events featuring public officials acting in their official capacities to document cannabis policymaking information of relevance.
  • The event organizers described the summit as follows: “This all-day event provides a dynamic platform for industry professionals, experts, policymakers, and advocates to discuss insights, trends, developments, and best practices in the industry.  The title this year is High Stakes: Resiliency in a Shifting Landscape.  The day will feature four panels: The Ins and Outs of (De/Re) Scheduling Cannabis, State Responsibility in the Absence of a New Farm Bill, Interstate Commerce of “Adult Use Cannabis”, and Innovation in Cannabis Regulation.  We plan on roundtable discussions and whole group discussions around these topics as the day progresses all bookended by expert keynote speakers.”
  • The event will be hosted in-person at The Collective in Seattle and registration is open and accessible at $35.

Innovation in Cannabis Regulation

On Friday at 2:15pm, the Cannabis Alliance planned to host a panel titled “Innovation in Cannabis Regulation.”

Regulation in the Absence of a New Farm Bill

On Friday at 3:45pm, the Cannabis Alliance planned to host a panel titled “Regulation in the Absence of a New Farm Bill.”