Washington State Hemp in Food Task Force
(WA Hemp in Food Task Force)

The WSDA Legislative Liaison reviewed department work impacting hemp and cannabis rules before taking questions about staffing and issues expected in the 2023 legislative session.

Cannabinoid regulation in the legislative session, the social equity program, CANNRA, and the traceability system were top-of-mind issues during the last agency public meeting of the year.

After failing to reach consensus on hemp product THC limits in their final report, it became clear that input from WSDA wouldn’t address the issue for subsequent industry-led legislation either.

As policy efforts were eased at the close of the year, lingering questions about a legislator’s conduct and the future of hemp cannabinoids in Washington state kept the calendar active.

Task force members had few comments on the body of their final report, but several remarks on the appendices and supplemental data, ahead of submitting the report to lawmakers.

Previews of bills to expect during the upcoming Washington State legislative session would likely be shared at events organized by WACA, the Hemp in Food Task Force, and WSLCB.

A WSLCB briefing on cannabinoid regulation charted activity leading up to 2023 request legislation including an investigation of a licensee engaged in synthesizing cannabinoids.

Task force members discussed drafting their report due to the legislature on December 1st before talking about what cannabinoid limits they’d recommend for hemp in food.

WSLCB members would discuss 10 years of I-502 with an industry panel and the Hemp in Food Task Force was scheduled for a final review of their report to the legislature.

Task force members tweaked work group recommendation language and planned for an additional meeting before their advice would be formatted for lawmakers.