Washington State Legislature
(WA Legislature)

The committee heard about a motion to create a cannabis security task force to address robberies in the area, amending wording and scope before recommending it to the full council.

A leading cannabis researcher went over his work on CBD and THC compounds to leverage the therapeutic potential of the endogenous cannabinoid system in the body.

Panelists from previous talks returned to field questions on identifying and regulating impairing cannabinoids, goals much more difficult to reach for cannabis than for alcohol.

Legislative, licensing, communications, and director updates contributed to the discussion amongst WSLCB leadership about activity towards social equity in cannabis.

Staff gathered input on draft conceptual rules for the agency social equity program which included many criticisms of the proposal - and heard opposition to the underlying equity project.

The Governor shared his thoughts on the supplemental budget before signing it; the measure created two hemp task forces, a community reinvestment fund, and other cannabis-centric changes.

The Governor signed a bill which changed non-binding cannabis revenue appropriations and mandated a study of those expenditures by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee.

Licensees, legislators, and lobbyists talked about a wave of retail robberies which had increased in frequency in 2022, examining banking, training, and other possible solutions and mitigations.

Legislative leaders of cannabis policy committees talked about a few successes in 2022, and the more numerous failures around medical cannabis, equity, and cannabinoid regulation bills.

State leaders planned to publicly engage with selected cannabis retail stakeholders to draw attention to the need for federal banking reform to help mitigate robberies before more people were hurt.