Observations

Cannabis and prevention researchers across Washington planned to convene quarterly confabs before WSLCB staff leadership were scheduled to share monthly public updates.

Staff claimed several rulemaking projects and petitions would be advanced in June and July, no one spoke at a public hearing, and members of the public voiced complaints.

State interest in better cannabis education for budtenders and consumers came up when officials briefed board members on a survey conducted between 2023 and 2024.

As WSLCB staff worked to make progress on medical cannabis rulemaking, regulators from across the country would convene in Minneapolis to engage with “External Stakeholders.”

The work group discussed two questions: was it possible to define “high THC” products, and were there gaps in requirements on cannabis product stability?

Following Memorial Day remembrance, only the Health Care Authority Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery planned to convene their monthly meeting to update service providers.

Staff presented two petitions, one on banning single use vapor products and another on employee stock ownership, opened rulemaking on cannabis waste, and heard public comments.

Staff heard comments on draft changes to the social equity program scoring rubric, including calls to prioritize cannabis market “pioneers” over those with no history in the cannabis sector.

A WSLCB board meeting densely packed with rulemaking and an anonymized petition to ban single use vapor products would precede a second focus group on the social equity program.

Panelists representing regulators and licensees in Washington and elsewhere weighed in on issues and challenges affecting innovation in the cannabis sector before taking questions.