Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board
(WSLCB)

With the close of the legislative session and restrictions on public movement tightening against the spread of COVID-19, cannabis policymaking appeared set to slow if not pause altogether.

The SBOH renewed their emergency rule against use of vitamin E acetate in vapor products and expressed concern about prospects for SB 6254, the Governor’s vapor product legislation.

The Board cancelled the March 18th Board Meeting, rescheduled the Quality Control public hearing, and learned about the surprising fate of the agency’s social equity legislation.

In the early afternoon on Tuesday March 10th, the House voted to accept the Senate’s changes to HB 2870 while honoring the bill’s primary sponsor, Majority Caucus Chair Eric Pettigrew, one of the House’s few African American members who planned to retire from the Legislature at the end of the 2020 session. Deputy Speaker Pro … Continued

On Monday March 9th during floor activity, HB 2870 was rewritten and amended once more before being returned from the Senate.

Five cannabis-related bills and the supplemental operating budget remain active as the Washington State Legislature’s short session draws to a close on Thursday.

The Senate fiscal committee passed HB 2826, WSLCB’s cannabis vapor products bill, as well as SB 6254, DOH’s vapor products bill which had been repeatedly brought “back to life.”

Discussion of “problematic” budget provisos and a review of what happened with HB 2870 engaged the Board while concerns about COVID-19 began to spread.

The legislature is getting more creative in its handling of cannabis-related bills and budget provisos as the close of the regular session approaches on March 12th.

The Board reviewed open agency rulemaking projects and learned new information about WSDA’s prospective organic-equivalent Certified Cannabis program.