The Hemp in Food Task Force had a new October 31st deadline to deliver recommendations, and the pesticide testing “phase in” deadline for wholesale to retail sales was set for Friday.
Here’s a look at cannabis-related policymaking events on the calendar in the week ahead.
Monday September 26th
At publication time, no cannabis-related policymaking events were scheduled.
Tuesday September 27th
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 ]
Wednesday September 28th
WSLCB - Board Meeting
On Wednesday at 10am PT, the bi-weekly WSLCB Board Meeting was scheduled to recur.
- [ Event Details ]
- At publication time, there were no cannabis-specific items on the agenda.
Thursday September 29th
WA Hemp in Food Task Force - Meeting
On Thursday at 1pm PT, the Washington State Hemp in Food Task Force (WA Hemp in Food Task Force) was scheduled to convene.
- [ Event Details ]
- The task force last convened on Wednesday September 21st after cancelling two prior meetings.
- Last Wednesday, WSDA staff informed task force members they have until October 31st to develop recommendations for inclusion in the legislative report due on December 1st. At publication time, no recommendations had been put forward nor agreed to yet, which left about 5 weeks for the work groups to develop the outlines of a statutory and regulatory framework to allow CBD in food in WA. It remained unclear how the full task force would come to consensus on recommendations put forward by its members or work groups, though a process modeled on the deliberations of the Washington State Cannabis Science Task Force had been proposed by Medicine Creek Analytics Scientific Director Amber Wise.
- The people present on the call---which only comprised about half of the members we've observed---agreed to begin meeting weekly, potentially without the meeting facilitator or WSDA staff who had scheduled the Washington State Hemp Commission Task Force meetings during the same Wednesday time block on alternating weeks. It was Cannabis Observer’s understanding that the Definitions Work Group and Concentration and Safety Work Group, composed of task force members inclusive of some overlap, would also continue to meet weekly. It was unclear if the additional work groups initially envisioned by task force members had been or would be convened.
- It appeared that members invested in particular desired outcomes would be volunteering a not inconsiderable amount of time to the task force and its work groups throughout October. WSDA staff who had been asked to manage two hemp-related task forces, gather member recommendations, and draft legislative reports through to publication by December also had their work cut out for them.
Friday September 30th
WSLCB - Quality Control Rules “Phase In” Deadline
As described in Policy Statement 22-01, Friday is the deadline for wholesale to retail sales of products that do not necessarily meet the most recently adopted quality control and pesticide testing rules.
- The statement indicated, ‘To provide a reasonable “phase in” period, all postharvest marijuana [cannabis] products in the possession of or being processed by a licensed marijuana [cannabis] producer, licensed processor, or licensed producer/processor before April 2, 2022 may be sold at wholesale to licensed marijuana [cannabis] producers, licensed cannabis processors or licensed marijuana [cannabis] retailers through September 30, 2022.’
- The statement also indicated retailers were granted a corresponding “sell down” opportunity: ‘To provide a reasonable “sell down” period, all marijuana [cannabis] product sold by licensed marijuana [cannabis] retailers after December 31, 2022 must have an accompanying certificate of analysis, or COA demonstrating the retail product is in compliance with the rules effective on April 2, 2022.‘
Saturday October 1st
The Cannabis Alliance - WA Cannabis Summit - 2022 - Opening Keynote
On Saturday at 10:30am PT, the Cannabis Alliance Washington State Cannabis Summit would begin with opening remarks from a key state legislator.
- [ Event Details ]
- Cannabis Observer documents public events and private events where officials are engaged in their official capacities.
- The Alliance’s annual Washington State Cannabis Summit would be hosted at The Collective Seattle in-person for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- According to the agenda, Washington State Representative Shelley Kloba was scheduled to offer opening remarks following a welcome by the new Alliance Executive Director Burl Bryson. At publication time, Kloba had been the Chair of the Washington State House Commerce and Gaming Committee (WA House COG), the primary cannabis policy committee in the House, for several years.