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

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. 

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.

WSLCB members would consider four rulemaking actions before the Hemp in Food Task Force convened one last time, ending that effort without a clear path forward for hemp consumables.

The group contemplated human safety guidance for different cannabis products, research on growing cannabis in contaminated soil, and implementing a new standard for THC detectability.

Arguably arbitrary thresholds and limits had come to predominate conversations around safety in cannabis products and how to distinguish hemp consumables in Washington state.

With the end of their legislative mandate weeks away, members searched for a path forward to advise on regulation of hemp consumables after a THC regulatory bill was signed into law.

Hemp industry members opposed a bill on THC regulation, but an agency representative as well as several cannabis industry, public health, and substance prevention groups backed the move.

Legislators hosted a lopsided hearing on the WSLCB THC bill on Friday and planned to host an executive session on legislation to expand the social equity licensing program on Saturday.