Cannabis Observer

The board reviewed social equity applicant webinars, denied one petition before opening rulemaking based on a different one, and heard feedback criticizing the quality of their data.

Legislators continued to undertake cannabis bills slowly, especially in the senate, but perennial subjects like out-of-state ownership had been positioned for consideration.

The longtime Director of WSLCB planned to step down, CCRS 2.0 was on track to go live, and public comments touched on equity, traceability, transparency, and the cannabis economy.

Staff said goodbye to two retiring division heads and heard several critical public comments before the chair gave a lengthy defense of the agency's continued work on social equity.

Staff arranged stakeholders into five breakout groups to discuss three questions about cannabis canopy interspersed with WSLCB facilitators sharing their interpretations of common themes.

A presentation on consumption habits among young adults in Washington described negative health effects, poor academic outcomes, and suicidal thoughts attributed to cannabis use disorder.

A group of conference attendees talked about enforcement practices, licensing changes, the incipient social equity program, and rulemaking challenges with WSLCB leaders.

Attendees heard about the WSDA hemp program and projects their staff were involved with, then asked about hemp testing and the possibility of Ag regulating cannabis production.

Revised rules requiring pesticide testing for cannabis products were finally adopted by the board, and a variety of critical public remarks preceded a lengthy response from the chair.

A measure to change employment law around cannabis testing elicited more negative testimony than positive, but broad agreement that new methods to detect active impairment were needed.