The WSLCB board cancelled meetings during the holiday week, but WA HCA would host a listening session as staff prepared a report on “High THC Policy” recommendations.
Here’s a look at cannabis-related policymaking events on the calendar in the week ahead.
Monday November 21st
At publication time, no cannabis-related policymaking events were scheduled.
Tuesday November 22nd
WSLCB - Board Caucus
The weekly Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) Board Caucus was cancelled.
- [ Event Details ]
WA HCA - DBHR Listening Session
On Tuesday at 1:30pm PT, the monthly Washington State Health Care Authority (WA HCA) Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery (DBHR) Behavioral Health Service Provider Listening Session was scheduled to recur.
- [ Event Details ]
- These calls afford an opportunity for leadership within WA HCA DBHR to connect with leadership and workers within the sector who directly provide services to clients struggling with behavioral health issues. According to the WA HCA website, “Behavioral health covers prevention, treatment, and recovery services for both mental health and substance use disorders.” While cannabis use disorder (CUD) is defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the vast majority of effort and resources within the sector appear to be devoted to addressing clients who have been classified with opioid use disorder (OUD), especially in relation to fentanyl, “a synthetic opioid that is 50-100 times stronger than morphine” according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (US DEA), and “50 times stronger than heroin” according to Wikipedia authors.
- However, funding is also allotted to WA HCA to pursue legislator concerns around cannabis. In a 2021 budget proviso, legislators appropriated $500K to WA HCA to pass through in part to the University of Washington Addictions, Drug, and Alcohol Institute (UW ADAI) “...to develop policy solutions in response to the public health challenges of high tetrahydrocannabinol potency cannabis.”
- The proviso outlines how “The institute must use this funding to: Conduct individual interviews with stakeholders and experts representing different perspectives, facilitate joint meetings with stakeholders to identify areas of common ground and consensus, and develop recommendations for state policies related to cannabis potency and mitigating detrimental health impacts.”
- WA HCA staff were made responsible for submitting two reports to “the office of financial management and the appropriate committees of the legislature.”
- An initial report was submitted in December 2021 to “summarize progress made to date, preliminary policy recommendations, and next steps.”
- UW ADAI Senior Research Scientist Beatriz Carlini provided an update to members of the Washington State House Commerce and Gaming Committee (WA House COG) on the initial report in November 2021.
- A final report “must be submitted by December 31, 2022, and shall summarize the analysis conducted by the institute, the process and stakeholders involved, an inventory of relevant cannabis policies in other states, and recommendations for policy changes to reduce the negative impacts of high potency cannabis in Washington state.”
- An initial report was submitted in December 2021 to “summarize progress made to date, preliminary policy recommendations, and next steps.”
- Cannabis Observer requested communications about the report via public records request and obtained a November 1st draft. As WA HCA staff are responsible for submitting the final report after multiple parties review and offer feedback, agency staff have been actively working drafts of the document for at least the past month.
- As the publisher of this document, I feel it’s important to emphasize that this is a DRAFT and not the final report. I expect that its contents remain in flux and encourage readers to keep that in mind.
- Next Friday December 2nd, WA House COG members have scheduled a work session to hear an "Update on Cannabinoid Product Regulation and Enforcement and Summary of Research on High-THC Concentration Cannabis." While participants have not been named, we know WSLCB staff will present and expect UW ADAI staff will be invited to present their findings and recommendations in the final report.
Wednesday November 23rd
WSLCB - Board Meeting
The bi-weekly WSLCB Board Meeting was cancelled.
- [ Event Details ]
Thursday November 24th
The State of Washington recognizes the Thanksgiving holiday.
Friday November 25th
The State of Washington recognizes Native American Heritage Day.