While social equity work groups continued to review the regulated cannabis market, the body historically responsible for introducing the state controlled substances act was set to convene.
Here’s a look at cannabis-related policymaking events on the calendar in the week ahead.
Monday November 8th
At publication time, no cannabis-related policymaking events were scheduled.
Tuesday November 9th
WSLCB - Board Caucus
On Tuesday at 10am PT, the weekly Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) Board Caucus was scheduled to recur.
- [ Event Details ]
WA SECTF - Work Group - TA and Mentorship - Public Meeting
On Tuesday at 1pm PT, the Washington State Legislative Task Force on Social Equity in Cannabis Technical Assistance and Mentorship Work Group (WA SECTF - Work Group - TA and Mentorship) was scheduled to convene.
- [ Event Details ]
- The TA and Mentorship Work Group last convened on October 12th for discussion centered on “community reinvestment.”
- On Tuesday, the group was scheduled to discuss a new proposal on “Cannabis Tax Funding” from Senator Rebecca Saldaña. Cannabis Observer obtained a draft copy of the proposal which indicates the discussion would focus on modifications to the standing appropriations from the dedicated marijuana account (DMA) encoded in RCW 69.50.540.
- The document is useful in its own right for converting complicated textual descriptions of appropriations into more tangible numbers and summaries of funded programs.
- Under the proposal, the allotment to the Washington State Department of Commerce (WA Commerce) to implement the social equity in cannabis technical assistance grant program and manage a roster of mentors would be doubled from $1.1M to $2.2M. WA Commerce would also be allotted $1M in new funds to manage a program of loans to licensees.
- WA Commerce would be allotted a new line item for “Community Grants” which would be calculated as the “Remainder after all other appropriations in community reinvestment” (61% of the DMA). As calculated from the “March 2021 revenue forecast with current appropriation updated with 2020 Supplemental budget and set percentages (provided by LCB),” community reinvestment would have been funded up to $12.3M for disproportionately impacted area (DIA) “programming grants to non-profits and local governments: education, housing, small business, college scholarships, digital equity, food insecurity, mental health, health care, workforce, gun violence prevention, drug prevention, research, health care, child welfare.”
- To fund the new and revised allotments (and account for an additional $5M going to cities and counties), slightly more than $21M would be redirected prior to draining the remaining administrative DMA funds to the General Fund - State.
- At the last TA and Mentorship Work Group meeting---and after much deliberation---members arrived at “a consensus that they will recommend 50% off the top, of all Cannabis tax revenue collected by the state to put into community reinvestment.” The draft proposal has that amount flex in relation to total cannabis revenues collected by the State. But in 2021 dollars, the percentage dedicated to community reinvestment equated to 2.22% of all cannabis tax revenue.
Wednesday November 10th
WSLCB - Board Meeting
On Wednesday at 10am PT, the bi-weekly WSLCB Board Meeting was scheduled to recur.
- [ Event Details ]
- At publication time, we were not aware of any cannabis rulemaking scheduled for this board meeting.
WA SECTF - Work Group - Licensing - Public Meeting
On Wednesday at 1pm PT, the Washington State Legislative Task Force on Social Equity in Cannabis Licensing Work Group (WA SECTF - Work Group - Licensing) was scheduled to convene.
- [ Event Details ]
- The Licensing Work Group last convened on October 20th.
- On Wednesday, the group was scheduled to discuss “Buffer Zone Recommendations” before hearing and discussing a presentation on delivery license types from PDX Greenbox founder Adrian Wayman. PDX Greenbox was the “1st licensed cannabis delivery service operating in Oregon” after “lobbying for a new license category specifically for delivery only cannabis retailers.”
WSLCB - Executive Management Team
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 ]
- The EMT last convened on October 13th.
WULC - Public Meeting
On Wednesday at 4pm PT, the Washington Uniform Law Commission (WULC) was scheduled to convene.
- [ Event Details ]
- The Washington Uniform Law Commission (WULC) was created by the Washington State Legislature in 1905 via House Bill 120. The authority of the commission is encoded in RCW 43.56. The commission is comprised of at least three "qualified persons" appointed by the Governor as well as the Code Reviser. Commissioners represent Washington state at the Uniform Law Commission and "propose to the legislature for approval and adoption the uniform acts developed with the other commissioners."
- In 1969, while the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA) was being devised by the administration of President Richard Nixon, the U.S. Department of Justice was also composing what would become the Uniform Controlled Substances Act (UCSA) to encourage state governments to join a hierarchical regime for the regulation of the manufacture, importation, possession, use, and distribution of certain substances. This model act was promulgated by the Uniform Law Commission to member states, which enacted the law and subsequent amendments at their discretion. Washington state adopted its version of the legislation in 1971.
- At publication time, we were not aware of any cannabis-related legislation scheduled for discussion at this commission meeting.
Thursday November 11th
At publication time, no cannabis-related policymaking events were scheduled.
Friday November 12th
At publication time, no cannabis-related policymaking events were scheduled.