Washington State Office of the Attorney General
(WA OAG)

In his final bill signing, Governor Jay Inslee offered hope Washington would continue to prosper under a supplemental budget with rates of cannabis spending largely the same as 2023.

Board members reviewed actions of the 2024 legislative session, got the status of several rulemaking projects, and heard about a petition to renew harvest dates as required labeling.

A bill to make cannabis business bans the purview of voters rather than their elected officials drew pushback from local government interests and support from an industry stakeholder.

State legislators would be prepared with details on cannabis revenues, appropriations, and retail theft while Ecology staff delayed accreditation rules to see how the session panned out.

Topics related to social equity applicants, research projects, and the approaching legislative session were brought up by agency leadership.

Legislators and agency staff were preparing for the shorter 2024 legislative session where organized retail crime and patient concerns would figure amidst cannabis related policymaking.

A legislative implementation platform, applicant status and changes to the social equity program, and an enforcement briefing were among topics talked about by agency leaders.

The operating budget that reached Governor Jay Inslee featured more than a dozen state agencies which received cannabis revenue, or were budgeted for activities related to the plant.

Reporting touched on why Licensing staff were “hands off” in the new phase of social equity applications, relocating producers over environmental pesticide concerns, and other updates.

Several cannabis retailers conveyed experiences and policies on reducing robberies, but local officials and others pushed for more organized and proactive enforcement approaches.