Washington State Department of Agriculture
(WSDA)

The board heard how an environmental pesticides investigation was nearing completion along with comments from the incoming agency director and plans for staff focus groups.

After a background on the draft rulemaking and method list for cannabis laboratory standards, stakeholders raised a lot of concerns and questions around expense and implementation.

Some task force members sought input from WSLCB and DOH guests on how to proceed with hemp consumable legislation given that THC regulations were already undergoing revisions.

Cannabis regulators from across the country planned to meet behind closed doors with selected external stakeholders before private labs met to discuss quality standards outlined by the State.

WSLCB members would consider four rulemaking actions before the Hemp in Food Task Force convened one last time, ending that effort without a clear path forward for hemp consumables.

An environmental pesticide briefing laid out previous and ongoing actions by WSLCB, board members denied a petition related to the topic, and public commenters raised various concerns.

The group contemplated human safety guidance for different cannabis products, research on growing cannabis in contaminated soil, and implementing a new standard for THC detectability.

Staff brought the board up to speed on several cannabis rulemaking projects, and briefed on a petition seeking to raise action levels for a legacy environmental pesticide.

Arguably arbitrary thresholds and limits had come to predominate conversations around safety in cannabis products and how to distinguish hemp consumables in Washington state.

Members and agency staff provided praise and criticism of research articles put forward by staff involving “Regulatory Science,” cannabinoid differences, testing results, and terminology.