Board Chair Jane Rushford asked about the status of the legislatively mandated task force on cannabis odor which had received scant updates from WSLCB staff since it was created.
WSLCB Director of Legislative Relations Chris Thompson provided a briefing to the agency’s Executive Management Team (EMT) on staff participation in two fall work sessions hosted by the Legislature’s primary cannabis policy committees.
A week more notable for cancellations would still include a meetup of third-party software integrators augmenting Washington state’s regulated marketplace despite Akerna.
Director Rick Garza noted that the Cannabis Regulators Association had been formed with officials from 17 member states.
Director Rick Garza provided a summary of the most recent Regulators Roundtable, a biannual meeting among American and Canadian officials responsible for legal cannabis regulation.
Deputy Director Megan Duffy discussed Enforcement Chief Justin Nordhorn’s upcoming transfer to a new policy oversight position in the Director’s Office, and Nordhorn followed up with insights into his future role.
In addition to work group updates, Chair Annette Hoffmann described her presentation to legislators and the Committee passed a previously tabled motion from the Proficiency Testing Work Group.
Reiterating a call heard by the Board as early as January 2018, Paula Sardinas and Angel Swanson asked for “immediate relief” for cannabis retail title certificate holders confined to ban and moratorium jurisdictions.
There was a lot to unpack in the WSLCB’s first Executive Management Team (EMT) meeting in seven months, but highlights include news that Enforcement Chief Justin Nordhorn would be transitioning to a new role, the Cannabis Regulators Association was formed, and the Marijuana Odor Task Force was unable to hire a consultant.
The WSLCB Board undertook expected rulemaking actions prior to general public comments when a Commissioner on African American Affairs and a retail title certificate holder lobbied to move licenses out of ban and moratorium areas.