Washington State Office of the Attorney General
(WA OAG)

Senators debated a legislative response to the State v. Blake decision and adopted a striking amendment making possession of controlled substances a misdemeanor, creeping further back towards criminalization of public health concerns.

The attorney general’s office described the “strict scrutiny” standard federal courts applied to laws utilizing race-based criteria and how that related to the work group’s development of social equity program applicant criteria.

Director Rick Garza discussed agency efforts to understand delta-8-THC and develop policy following increased momentum towards restriction by other states amid federal uncertainty.

During the first work group meeting, members introduced themselves; heard staff briefings on the group’s scope, responsibilities, and timeline; and solicited public comments.

An extensive briefing by WSLCB staff on past cannabis business licensing windows provoked a lively Q&A on the prospective social equity program application process.

WSLCB licensing staff would testify before the social equity task force the same week as an out-of-state ownership lawsuit proceeded while 11 cannabis-related bills made their way through the legislature.

Though not unanimous, the task force voted to focus on anti-Black racism in their operating principles before broadly discussing the equity program and establishing three work groups.

Board members reviewed feedback from the recent special board meeting and approved a cannabis compact with the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation.

Task force members received a data briefing to assist in elaboration of qualifying criteria for cannabis social equity applicants residing in “disproportionately impacted areas.”

Review of the task force’s scope and responsibilities, draft bylaws, and operating principles elicited member perspectives on the kinds of systemic racism they would attempt to address within the state’s legal cannabis market.