Washington authorizes medical cannabis. Tell LCB to verify it.
Send your comment by 10 a.m. Pacific on Tuesday, October 6. Ask the Liquor and Cannabis Board to begin rulemaking on medical cannabis verification.
Washington licenses businesses to participate in its medical cannabis system. Those businesses should have a reliable way to document what the state authorizes them to do.
On October 7, the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board will consider The Cannabis Alliance’s petition to establish a Medical Cannabis Participation Verification process. LCB staff have recommended denial, even while acknowledging that the Board likely has authority to provide verification.
The Board can choose to move forward. Your comment can help explain why it should.
Use our letter generator to prepare your comment.
Why this matters now
As federal cannabis policy changes, Washington businesses need clear documentation of their state regulatory status. Staff’s own recommendation recognizes that licensees anticipate federal changes that may benefit businesses able to demonstrate their authorized medical cannabis activities.
The October 7 agenda item gives licensees, patients, researchers and others a concrete opportunity to explain what they need from LCB as they navigate Schedule III.
Keep your comment connected to the petition: why accurate state documentation matters, how the lack of it affects you, and why the Board should develop a workable verification process.
The Board is deciding whether to begin that work. It is not deciding federal eligibility.
What we asked for
Our petition addresses a practical gap: Washington licensees have no standardized process for obtaining official verification from LCB of their medical cannabis regulatory status.
The state already maintains licensing and endorsement records. We are asking for a way to confirm the relevant information those records establish.
That documentation could help a bank or insurer conducting due diligence, a researcher checking a supplier’s status, or a federal agency reviewing a registration.
The proposal creates no new license, no fourth tier and no additional authority to conduct cannabis activities. Federal determinations remain with federal agencies.
Staff recommends denial. We believe rulemaking is the answer.
Staff’s concerns fall into four areas: Washington’s integrated three-tier system, the information available in agency records, administrative costs, and the usefulness of a state certificate for federal purposes.
Those concerns deserve attention. They also give the Board specific questions to resolve through rulemaking.
The three-tier system stays intact. Producers, processors and retailers keep their existing roles. Verification documents authority already granted within those roles.
Verification can be limited to existing records. The Board can confirm what its records establish without reconstructing a business’s history or guaranteeing its ongoing conduct.
The process can be designed around reasonable costs. We are open to a reasonable cost-recovery fee if legally authorized. Staff has provided no cost estimates, and beginning rulemaking does not commit the Board to a particular rule or program.
Documentation can be useful without guaranteeing federal acceptance. It may also support banking, insurance and research needs.
The recommendation offers no alternative process to address the documentation gap. We are asking the Board to preserve the petition’s purpose and work with stakeholders on practical details. It does not have to adopt every provision of our suggested language to move forward.
Read the staff recommendation and our original petition.
How to add your voice
Email: LCBBoardMeeting@lcb.wa.gov
Suggested subject: October 7 Board Meeting, Item 6A: Support Medical Cannabis Participation Verification
Send by: 10 a.m. Pacific on Tuesday, October 6, 2026.
LCB asks for comments at least 24 hours before a meeting so Board members can review them before taking action. This is the recommended submission time for the October 7 meeting, however, you can submit comments any time.
You do not need a long letter or legal expertise. A few specific sentences can explain:
Who you are and your connection to Washington’s medical cannabis system.
Why official documentation of authorized medical activities matters to you.
Why you want the Board to begin rulemaking rather than deny the petition.
If Schedule III is part of your concern, connect it to the need for state verification. Describe your own experience or uncertainty without feeling you need to resolve the federal legal questions.
Need help getting started? Use our letter generator, personalize your comment, review it, and send it from your own email address.
Watch the Board’s decision
The meeting begins at 10 a.m. Pacific on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, and will be broadcast on TVW.
Washington built and regulates a medical cannabis system. The businesses operating within it should be able to document their authorized role, and the people who depend on it should help shape what comes next.
Ask LCB to begin rulemaking. Prepare your comment today.