A staffer made a promise to a retail licensee without the approval of the Board and a petition regarding true parties of interest definitions was accepted.
Here are some observations from Tuesday’s Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) Board Caucus.
My top 3 takeaways:
- An official WSLCB email was sent to a retail licensee offering an extension to the license forfeiture deadline without Board approval.
- On Friday (July 20), an email was sent to a licensee by WSLCB staff effectively offering an extension beyond the August 1st license forfeiture deadline for non-operational retailers. The email was sent without Board Member knowledge or approval. The Board has previously mulled the possibility of extensions but has taken no formal action (transcript, audio).
- The Board worked on a motion to formalize deadline extensions for non-operational licenses approved in the past year who had maintained good communication with WSLCB and demonstrated progress towards opening. Chair Jane Rushford suggested the Board consult with WSLCB legal counsel prior to approving the motion (transcript, audio).
- The Board has accepted a petition for rulemaking to clarify the definition of true parties of interest (transcript, audio).
- The petition for rulemaking was first discussed at last week’s Board Caucus (July 17). Here is the petition itself obtained via a public records request.
- WSLCB Policy and Rules Coordinator Joanna Eide: “I’m preparing that response [to the petition for rulemaking], because as I understood it, last week when we met and discussed this, the Board decided it was comfortable with moving forward with the recommendation, that we’ll consider that petition as part of currently ongoing rulemaking.”
- The Board outlined upcoming meetings and calls (transcript, audio).
- Joanna Eide will address processor-to-processor transfers (distribution) and homogeneously distributed THC in cannabis products (vs. spray-on applications) at next week’s Board Caucus (July 31).
- Member Garrett has a call scheduled with minority business workgroup member Anne Sulton on Thursday (July 26).