Washington State House Commerce and Gaming Committee
(WA House COG)

Mere weeks away from pre-filing, legislators and agency staff prepared draft bills including the WSLCB “impairing” cannabinoids legislation of interest and consequence to many.

Staff reviewed stalled rulemaking for a certified cannabis program in Washington before turning to two California programs: an organic-comparable certification and appellations of origin.

Cannabis trade associations shared their legislative priorities around out-of-state ownership, social equity, medical cannabis, and synthesized cannabinoids.

WSLCB leadership briefed the committee on “Cannabis Regulatory Issues and Implementation of Recent Legislation” after Gillian Schauer described delta-8-THC “health and safety risks.”

A request bill to modify the timeline for Ecology to take on lab accreditation was shelved following “stakeholder research,” while potential legislation to create a lab standards body carried on.

Director of Legislative Relations Chris Thompson went over the status of two potential agency request bills (lab standards, cannabinoid regulation) and an upcoming briefing to lawmakers.

A busy week inclusive of hearings on a local ban, medical cannabis taxation, social equity, and product testing would culminate in a legislative work session setting the stage for 2022.

Legislative, regulatory, and lobbying leaders talked about preparing the Washington state cannabis sector for national legalization and interstate trade.

Industry, academic, and agency representatives brought lawmakers up to speed on CBD product research and policy development in Washington state.

Three recommendations for the 2022 legislative session were put forward by the licensing work group and adopted by the task force following discussion and amendment.