Washington CannaBusiness Association
(WACA)

Sharply divided testimony on a bill to add more members and non-voting legislators to the WSLCB board suggested the idea was controversial in both the cannabis and alcohol sectors.

Agency staff described six proposals they were engaged with in the second week of the legislative session, leading to a longer discussion about dueling synthesized cannabinoid bills.

Testimony on a craft cannabis endorsement was weighted in favor of those who saw the proposal increasing fairness in the cannabis market, but others were not so sure.

Some licensees, WSLCB staff, and prevention advocates encouraged lawmakers to pass request legislation on cannabinoid regulation, while other licensees preferred a competing bill.

A majority of speakers favored legislation to create a cannabis commodity commission, but questions remained about costs, goals, and the inclusiveness with which the bill was drafted.

As the 2022 Washington state legislative session began on Monday, 12 cannabis-related bills had been pre-filed for introduction and 7 would be reintroduced from 2021.

In their final meeting of 2021, board members discussed a recent ride-along, a legislative proposal to overhaul the board from a cannabis trade association, and “collateral enforcement.”

Three senators offered their thoughts around cannabis policy and answered specific questions about potential bill subjects as well as the format of the 2022 legislative session.

A cannabis researcher from WSU went over academic developments around safety, economic development, health, and agriculture before answering attendee questions.

Staff reviewed the imminent transition from the existing cannabis traceability provider to a WSLCB reporting system scheduled for December 6th - despite expressed concerns.