Washington State Department of Ecology
(DOE)

As the Cannabis Science Task Force wrapped up its work and moved to fade into its sunset, the Social Equity Task Force was prepared to adopt its most ambitious legislative agenda yet.

A request bill to modify the timeline for Ecology to take on lab accreditation was shelved following “stakeholder research,” while potential legislation to create a lab standards body carried on.

Director of Legislative Relations Chris Thompson went over the status of two potential agency request bills (lab standards, cannabinoid regulation) and an upcoming briefing to lawmakers.

WSLCB staff would attempt to clarify their intent to reform cannabis law in Washington state, while CANNRA leaders educated public health and prevention practitioners on similar subjects.

The board heard about two agency request bills: a joint venture with WSDA to regulate testing lab standards and one “to allow for synthetic, but to prohibit artificial” cannabinoids in products.

Summer is “officially” over as judged by policymaking on traceability, 2022 legislation, synthesized cannabinoids, and medical cannabis taxation in the week ahead.

Potential agency request legislation would create an Interagency Coordination Team (ICT) to define testing lab standards and remove the deadline for transfer of lab accreditation authority.

The Social Equity in Cannabis Task Force Technical Assistance and Mentorship Work Group was scheduled to discuss legislative proposals during an otherwise typical August week.

Members debated the future of the task force while discussing planned agency request legislation to create an Interagency Coordination Team (ICT) to regulate lab accreditation.

The agencies on the Cannabis Science Task Force were scheduled to describe their potential request legislation packages intended to create a new body for oversight of testing labs.