As a social equity task force work group began considering how to distribute $3.62M in grants, another task force prepared to disband, leaving cannabis science under the care of regulators.
Here’s a look at cannabis-related policymaking events on the calendar in the week ahead.
Monday June 7th
At publication time, no cannabis-related policymaking events scheduled
Tuesday June 8th
On Tuesday at 10am PT, the weekly WSLCB Board Caucus was scheduled to recur.
- [ Event Details ]
On Tuesday at 1pm PT, the Washington State Legislative Task Force on Social Equity in Cannabis Work Group on Technical Assistance and Mentorship (WA SECTF - Work Group - TA and Mentorship) was scheduled to convene for its second meeting.
- [ Event Details ]
- During the first meeting of the work group on May 11th, new members reviewed the scope and responsibilities of their charge.
- The second meeting would focus on a briefing and discussion with a Washington State Department of Commerce policy advisor previously tasked with managing legislative reports for the agency.
- Commerce was appropriated $3.944M to help strengthen social equity in cannabis during fiscal years (FYs) 2022 and 2023. $163K and $159K were allotted in FYs 2022 and 2023 respectively “to establish a roster of mentors as part of the cannabis social equity technical assistance grant program under Engrossed Substitute House Bill No. 1443.” The balance, $3.62M would be split between fiscal years for distribution as grants.
Wednesday June 9th
On Wednesday at 10am PT, the bi-weekly WSLCB Board Meeting was scheduled to recur.
- [ Event Details ]
- It’s our understanding that a public hearing on the proposed rules for the Tier 1 Expansion rulemaking project was planned for this board meeting as of April 28th.
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 ]
- If not introduced earlier in the week, we expect this will be the first public meeting in which newly hired WSLCB Deputy Director Toni Hood will participate.
- Hood replaced former Deputy Director Megan Duffy who was appointed in April to take over the directorship of the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office (WA RCO), including responsibility for the sixth largest agency capital budget in the State.
- Hood comes to WSLCB from the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner where she built upon her administrative law background as Deputy Commissioner of the agency’s Legal Affairs Division. Hood formerly worked for the Washington State Department of Licensing and the Office of the Attorney General.
- Hood’s first day was either Tuesday May 25th or Tuesday June 1st according to a mention by WSLCB Director Rick Garza.
Thursday June 10th
At publication time, no cannabis-related policymaking events scheduled
Friday June 11th
On Friday at 1pm PT, the Washington State Department of Ecology Cannabis Science Task Force Steering Committee (DOE - Cannabis Science Task Force Steering Committee) was scheduled to convene.
- [ Event Details ]
- HB 2052, passed during the 2019 legislative session, established the task force and outlined the transfer of responsibility for accreditation of cannabis testing laboratories from WSLCB to the department. The task force’s responsibilities and expiration on December 31, 2022 were encoded in RCW 43.21A.735.
- The Cannabis Science Task Force last met on May 24th to hear updates from three active work groups and discuss “winding down the task force.”
- The task force focus was somewhat constrained to the sprawling issue of laboratory testing standards, and much work otherwise remains to be done. Supplemental legislation will be necessary to establish an “Interagency Coordination Team” (ICT) as a more permanent conference of cannabis regulators from WSLCB, the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA), and the Washington State Department of Health (DOH). That entity---which does not yet exist and has not secured recurring funding from the legislature---is assumed to be central to the regulation of cannabis testing in Washington state going forward.
- Private lab representatives questioned the timing of shutting down the task force and offered to continue volunteering their time to assist on what remains a long road ahead. I offered public comment suggesting the Steering Committee remain active to assist in the development of agency request legislation to create the ICT, and suggested the operations of that new public entity be made as public as possible.
- The department was appropriated $546K across FYs 2022 and 2023 to continue “implementation of accreditation of marijuana product testing laboratories.”
- The June 11th meeting could be the last meeting of the task force.
- The private labs issued a joint request for the addition of an agenda item:“We are requesting discussion to clarify the role and duties of the task force moving forward given the group has been funded for 1.5 more years. Additionally, what (if any) role the task force might have in drafting regulatory or legislative language based on the group’s recommendations?”