A long-time leader in the prevention community would co-chair their final meeting of the State research collaborative the same day as a focus group on implementing the cannabis waste bill.
Here’s a look at cannabis-related policymaking events on the calendar in the week ahead.
Tuesday September 3rd
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 ]
- During caucus on Tuesday August 27th, the board received rulemaking updates in preparation for their board meeting the following day where, besides a call for minor changes to rules implementing a patient tax exemption, board members heard about an alleged “bait and switch” tactic being used on some equity applicants.
- According to the agenda for Tuesday’s caucus, the board solely intended to convene in executive session for “litigation review.”
Wednesday September 4th
WA HCA PRC - Quarterly Meeting
On Wednesday at 10:35am PT, the Washington State Health Care Authority Prevention Research Collaborative (WA HCA PRC) was scheduled to convene their quarterly meeting.
- [ Event Details ]
- Wednesday would occasion WA HCA PRC Co-Chair Kevin Haggerty’s final meeting ahead of his retirement. Haggerty was one of the original organizers of the Prevention Research Subcommittee more than twenty years prior, and the person who introduced the idea of allowing Cannabis Observer to attend the events in late 2023.
- Some participants do not consent to allowing Cannabis Observer to record the proceedings.
- The agenda for Wednesday’s meeting allocates one hour for a presentation from the WSLCB Research Program.
- On Tuesday August 20th, WSLCB board members hosted a Research Program presentation during their weekly caucus, spending thirty minutes learning about an economics report on the cannabis sector regarding opportunity for additional licenses, before touching on the operating procedures and initial research briefs from the group.
- The format and goals of WSLCB research briefs were influenced by similar WA HCA PRC research briefs developed annually on prevention topics of interest targeting similar audiences including legislators, regulators, and the public.
- WSLCB Research Program Manager Sarah Okey and WSLCB Public Health Education Liaison Kristen Haley presented their findings on cannabis consumer and budtender knowledge levels at the Research Society on Marijuana (RSMj) Scientific Meeting in Toronto on July 20th.
- Okey and Haley collaborated with George Washington University Researcher Cassidy LoParco and University of Washington Addictions, Drug, and Alcohol Institute (UW ADAI) Research Scientist Jason Williams to develop a tripartite presentation on “Reaching the Modern Cannabis Consumer.”
- UW ADAI staff planned to host their second high THC symposium on September 19th, titled “Cannabis, Schizophrenia, and Other Psychotic Disorders: Moving Away From Reefer Madness Toward Science.”
- During the March 2023 WA HCA PRSC meeting, former WA HCA Prevention Research and Evaluation Manager Tyler Watson presented a Healthy Youth Survey (HYS) “2023 Results Snapshot,” the first semi-public presentation of the findings.
- Watson subsequently joined the WSLCB Research Program as a Research Specialist.
- The WA HCA PRC presentation on Wednesday would be led by WSLCB Research Analyst Nicholas Glodosky.
- Glodosky was a graduate student at Washington State University (WSU) in The Health and Cognition Lab (THC Lab) led by Carrie Cutler.
- On Tuesday August 20th, WSLCB board members hosted a Research Program presentation during their weekly caucus, spending thirty minutes learning about an economics report on the cannabis sector regarding opportunity for additional licenses, before touching on the operating procedures and initial research briefs from the group.
WSLCB - Focus Group - SB 5376 Implementation
On Wednesday at 1pm PT, WSLCB Policy and Rules staff planned to host a focus group on the SB 5376 Implementation (cannabis waste) rulemaking project.
- [ Event Details, Rulemaking Project ]
- According to the announcement sent on Wednesday August 28th, the session was scheduled “to review and discuss draft rule language being considered for the CR-102 filing. Feedback from this session will help refine the rules before the planned filing date of Sept. 11, 2024. This session includes a review of the draft rules, an opportunity to provide input, and time for questions and answers.”
- The original version of the draft rules, published on Tuesday August 27th, were replaced with a revised version (redline markup) on Friday August 30th, although no announcement was made. The revised version largely provided technical cleanup of the rule text, though a few substantive changes were effected; see this side-by-side comparison.
Thursday September 5th
At publication time, no cannabis-related policymaking events were scheduled.
Friday September 6th
At publication time, no cannabis-related policymaking events were scheduled.