Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board Cannabinoid Science Work Group
(WSLCB - Work Group - Cannabinoid Science)

Board members heard a few rulemaking updates before reflecting on the development of the Research Unit and the impending departure of a rulemaking and research leader at WSLCB.

Aside from a short rulemaking update, most of the meeting focused on the new agency research team, including outputs and external collaborations they had begun to develop.

With DOE staff moving forward on cannabis lab accreditation rulemaking, they explained the expected timeline for draft rules and heard feedback about the costly implications for labs.

A congressional committee heard how lack of federal rulemaking on CBD and hemp products contributed to endangering consumers through sale of unsafe hemp-derived cannabinoid products. 

Lab participants would get a glimpse of rulemaking procedure at the Department of Ecology and the Cannabinoid Science Work Group planned to convene under the WSLCB Research Unit.

Staff went through subjects discussed during the CANNRA external stakeholder meeting, plus updates on licensing, social equity, and interest in a new traceability system.

After a background on the draft rulemaking and method list for cannabis laboratory standards, stakeholders raised a lot of concerns and questions around expense and implementation.

Some task force members sought input from WSLCB and DOH guests on how to proceed with hemp consumable legislation given that THC regulations were already undergoing revisions.

The cloud storage project was withdrawn; petitions on vapor products and equity applicant scoring were denied; and implementation of a THC bill was initiated by the board.

An environmental pesticide briefing laid out previous and ongoing actions by WSLCB, board members denied a petition related to the topic, and public commenters raised various concerns.