Observations

The caucus meeting touched on existing rulemaking; a proposal to label cannabis vapor cartridges; the highs and lows of the legislative session; and a newly appointed board member.

The governor acknowledged the racist legacy of using the term ‘marijuana’ in reference to the plant before signing a law to use the word ‘cannabis’ in state statute and rules instead.

Three cannabis-related bills were passed by the legislature in 2022—out of 31 introduced—yet WSLCB and social equity task force work continued nonetheless.

Two changes to a striking amendment were debated—one for quite some time—before representatives passed a bill modifying intended cannabis tax revenue appropriations.

After rulemaking and legislative updates, Chair David Postman had a lot to say about committee changes to the last moving cannabinoid regulation and enforcement bill - none of it flattering.

Given two proposed substitutes on a bill to regulate cannabinoids, almost the entire committee voted for a more limited version to get some cannabinoid products off the shelves and study the issues.

In the final week of a contentious short session, legislators would have to sprint to pass SB 5983, a bill to protect public health but also fundamentally restructure cannabis law.

A last-minute hearing on a repackaged bill to regulate synthesized cannabinoids revealed shared public health concerns but testimony otherwise remained just as sharply divided.

Senators voted in favor of “raising our consciousness a bit” by replacing the freighted phrase ‘marijuana’ in state laws and rules with the more scientifically appropriate term ‘cannabis.’

Revised rules requiring pesticide testing for cannabis products were finally adopted by the board, and a variety of critical public remarks preceded a lengthy response from the chair.