Washington State Office of the Governor
(WA Governor)

A familiar face was announced to lead a new agency research unit, extensive rulemaking would take place in the coming months, and the board celebrated signed social equity legislation.

With broad effects on definitions, timelines, portability, and the number of cannabis licenses in the social equity program, the Governor called passage of SB 5080 “a really important deal.”

The Governor was scheduled to take action on two cannabis bills, including the social equity program expansion, while other bodies convened to consider regular session outcomes.

An update on the 2023 legislative session hinted at a potential special session to revise a Blake bill on drug use and treatment, then staff discussed input on the medical cannabis system.

The council heard that even after modifications to traffic fatality data involving drug testing results the narrative on the increasing prevalence of poly-drug incidences remained unchanged.

The Washington State Legislature adjourned sine die on Sunday, but failed to pass “a Blake fix bill” which would likely prompt the calling of a 30-day special session sometime before June 1st.

The biennium operating budget as revised by fiscal committee leadership from both chambers would be published on Saturday at noon, the second to last day of the 2023 regular session.

Board members learned more about environmental pesticide investigations and test results before hearing a proposal for a dedicated research unit at the agency and legislative updates.

Legislators greeted the final week of the 2023 regular session as WSLCB staff cleaned up a policy mess nearly made near the sleeping giant of environmental pesticide contamination.

And then there were seven; three cannabis bills were passed hours prior to the final cutoff gateway as legislators turned to concurrence votes, disputes, and conference committee work.