Washington CannaBusiness Association
(WACA)

Legislation which would expand the scope of the state’s cannabis social equity program, assistance grants, and social equity task force received a welcoming policy committee hearing.

A diverse majority publicly testified against legislation to establish a Washington state cannabis commodity commission, although more individuals signed in support.

The committee heard a bill intended to remove the term ‘marijuana’ from use in state law due to its background as a way to imbue cannabis prohibition with racial and social bias.

SB 5004, legislation providing an excise tax exemption for patients registered with the state, drew largely supportive testimony which contested the accuracy of the fiscal note.

Goals for the 2021 Washington state legislative session, which begins Monday January 11th, were articulated by WSLCB agency leadership and Cannabis Advisory Council members.

WSDA staff described program operations, announced allowance of “dietary ingredients,” previewed a web portal, and created a new work group to help expand MIE product types.

House lawmakers heard invited testimony on “Cannabis potency policy considerations” from the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB), legislative staff, and two cannabis trade groups.

WSLCB Director of Legislative Relations Chris Thompson provided a briefing to the agency’s Executive Management Team (EMT) on staff participation in two fall work sessions hosted by the Legislature’s primary cannabis policy committees.

The Washington State House Commerce and Gaming Committee convened its fall work session to hear perspectives on cannabis “potency” from WSLCB, committee staff, and industry representatives along with updates from the Cannabis Science Task Force and state university researchers inclusive of public health and prevention community efforts to correlate ingestion of high-THC marijuana with adverse […]

A busy week for cannabis-related policymaking lay ahead including activity at the Washington State Legislature, the WSLCB, the State Board of Health, and the Department of Ecology.