Washington State Department of Commerce
(WA Commerce)

Members of the public expressed dissatisfaction over the company picked to process social equity grants, adjudication of a patient cooperative dispute, and new cannabis education offerings.

The board heard an in-depth update on the social equity program then voted on two petitions, accepting one on heavy metals testing and denying one related to multi-license production facilities.

A study of changing product tax rates based on cannabinoid content divided cannabis sector interests, while a public health official supported further evaluation of the approach.

Lawmaker questions focused on potential risks and negative outcomes during mostly supportive testimony on 2024 cannabis home growing legislation.

A rules update acknowledged more delays in some projects before public comments showed a divide on the fairness of social equity licensing and questioned cannabis research topics.

Updates to a more than five-year-old tribal compact, a rulemaking petition, and general public comments were on the agenda for the final board meeting of 2023.

Agency leaders went over what they anticipated dealing with in 2024, including “high-THC” regulations, lab accreditation authority, medically endorsed stores, and social equity applicants.

Black Excellence in Cannabis (BEC) members made pointed accusations that problems in the social equity licensing program had been intentional, to which the chair forcefully disagreed.

After WSLCB and WA Commerce officials went through their responsibilities for the cannabis social equity program, two applicants aired grievances with how the program had been handled so far.

As legislators sought perspectives on contemporary cannabis policy issues and regulators willingly shared, a group of publicly-funded prevention researchers kept their doors closed.