Washington State Office of the Governor
(WA Governor)

Agency leadership heard a substantial update on the legislative landscape for the 2020 session, and a licensee operating a cannabis delivery service garnered agency attention.

On Wednesday, an uncharacteristic Special Board Meeting has been called to adopt potentially five new emergency rules to implement the “flavored vapor products” prohibition.

The Board adopted an initial set of emergency rules in response to the state’s prohibition of flavored vaporizable products and heard testimony to the economic impacts caused.

Implementation of the new prohibition against “flavored vapor products” occupied the Board in preparation for multiple rounds of emergency rulemaking.

Agency leadership discussed messaging for Cannabis 2.0, vapor products, hemp/CBD, and traceability while learning the latest numbers from the licensing division.

The Washington State Board of Health planned to adopt emergency rules prohibiting the sale of “flavored vapor products” including “marijuana-infused extracts or marijuana concentrates for inhalation.”

The Board prepared to hasten new vapor product rules along towards implementation and learned rulemaking would be restarted to consider canopy adjustments for Tier 1 producers.

On Wednesday, WSLCB will propose changes to vapor product rules in the wake of Governor Inslee’s executive order “ADDRESSING THE VAPING USE PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS.”

The Director briefed on the agency’s request legislation and the vaping-related health scare, which includes a new lawsuit in Pierce County filed against six cannabis product manufacturers.

The scope of the vaping crisis continued to expand, including a possible case in Washington state and increased likelihood of federal and state action against flavored vapor products considered appealing to children.