NEWS & UPDATES

TOP NEWS: The Cannabis Alliance Meets with DOE to Talk Lab Accreditation

The Executive Director of The Cannabis Alliance, Lara Kaminsky and the new lobbyist for The Alliance were invited to a meeting with the Department of Ecology (DOE) in September. The Alliance and a few other industry representatives were in attendance as well as folks from the Department of Health (DOH), the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA), the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB), and the Governor’s office.

Top three takeaways:

1. All agencies, offices, and representatives present at the meeting appear open to — if not in favor of — moving the accreditation responsibility to the DOE.
2. The DOE was receptive to the notion — even offered it up themselves — that “laboratory accreditation” on its own is insufficient for achieving the goals that we apparently have for our cannabis labs.
3. Funding is an important consideration that will require our lobby power.

Handout from DOE provided at meeting: Current State of Cannabis Lab Accreditation & Report Focus Areas.

Interested in this topic? Consider becoming an Alliance member to participate in our Science & Standards Committee.

Last Chance to Participate in Rule Making, We Made it Easy!

There are two sets of rules out in the CR-102 stage right now. The deadline for public comment (and the public hearing) is October 3, 2018.

• WAC 314-55-109 Cannabinoid Additives—Requirements, restrictions, and quality assurance testing (for imported CBD)
• 2017 Cannabis Legislation and Technical Housekeeping Rules (Omnibus Rulemaking)

The Cannabis Alliance has taken the current proposed rules and turned them into a google docs for ease of commenting. We would really like to hear from as many people as possible on these proposed rules. Have comments? Please EMAIL US and we will get you access to the document.

Want to learn more about the rule making process?

COMMITTEE CORNER

[Expungement Committee] Seattle Throws out Cannabis Convictions, Work Yet to be Done

Judges in Seattle have decided to quash convictions for marijuana possession for anyone prosecuted in the city between 1996 and 2010. But there’s still more work to be done! Proposed legislation will be coming this session called ‘The New Hope Act’ that provides the opportunity for people convicted of certain offenses to be relieved of the collateral consequences of a conviction after they have paid their debt to society and have remained crime free for a period of time. Currently, people who commit an offense face a lifetime of consequences that go beyond what was sentenced by a judge. The consequences include lack of housing or employment opportunities, denial of professional licensing, insurance, and volunteer opportunities. If individuals have hope that one day they will have increased opportunities through vacating a criminal record, they will be deterred from committing new offenses. This will increase public safety and decrease recidivism. Please email and phone your legislators.

[Packaging Waste Committee] Latest Trump Tariff Hits Poly Plastics

Content provided by: Jason Lammers, McCallum Co.

The 3rd round of Trump Tariffs took effect last week. 10% has been placed on all poly bags and may extend to all poly including joint tubes, plastic bottles, etc. That 10% will jump to 25% in January 2019. For more information please contact Jason at jason@mccallumco.com.

[Labor Committee] New Legislation Impacting Employers and Employees Coming in 2019

Starting in 2020, Washington will be the 5th state in the US to offer paid family and medical leave benefits under the Washington State Family And Medical Leave Act. The program will be funded by premiums paid by both employees and many employers. For more information please contact Bryon Peterson at bryon@hrgroupinternational.com

Interested in Joining a Committee?

ALLIANCE HIGHLIGHTS

Elected Board Members Announced

The Cannabis Alliance held board elections this past month and we are proud to announce our three newly elected and re-elected board members. Congratulations Keith Boyce, Rachael Brower, and John Davis! We are excited for another great year of fun and hard work. Check out the rest of our incredible board.

Innovative Startup, Cannabis Observer, Launches Website

Cannabis regulation and rule making in Washington state continues to grow more transparent and accessible with the launch of Cannabis Observer [ https://Cannabis.Observer/ ].  Observations and takeaways from Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board public meetings which have been regularly posted to The Cannabis Alliance Google Groups now have a home on the web.  You can view all of the team’s public meeting summaries since March, access all released documents, and sign up to receive email updates.  The Washington state team bootstrapping Cannabis Observer includes three Cannabis Alliance members: Julia Lee (Executive Assistant for The Cannabis Alliance), Dominic Corva (CASP), and Gregory Foster (Cannabis Data).

Member Shoutout: John Kingsbury

This month The Cannabis Alliance would like to recognize long time member and patient advocate, John Kingsbury. As Chair of the Patients Committee John brings incredible insight into the needs of our medical community. He is leading the committee on efforts to address major issues in the medical system including testing standards, tax, and access. His understanding of the people and the market is invaluable and we are lucky to have his help as we work toward the advancement of a vital, ethical, and sustainable cannabis industry. Thank you, John!

Membership Benefit Reminder: Employee Health Benefits

This is a friendly reminder that all Cannabis Alliance members have access to health plans at exclusive rates, thanks to our members at Group Benefits Northwest. Want to learn more? Contact Steve Brown at sbrown@groupbenefitsnw.com

UPCOMING EVENTS

* = Official Alliance Event

*Join Us in Re-electing Representative Shelley Kloba

Date: Tuesday, October 2nd

Time: 6pm – 7:30pm

Location: McMenamins Anderson School, 18607 Bothell Way NE, Bothell, WA

Representative Shelley Kloba, 1st district, has been a strong champion for our industry. Please join us for an event hosted by WAMPAC as we show our support for Rep. Kloba and her campaign for re-election.

Kush Marketplace Live Fall Event

Date: Friday, October 5th

Time: 10am – 5pm

Location: Motif Hotel Seattle, 1415 5th Ave, Seattle, WA

The Cannabis Alliance is proud to be a sponsor of Kush Marketplace Live Fall Event. The Marketplace event is the largest licensee event in the state where 80+ of the state’s best growers, edible chef’s and oil magicians come together to showcase their new products and event specials for a day of networking and deal making.

And don’t forget to join us for the afterparty!

*Clark County I502 Day of Action

Date: Saturday, October 6th

Time: 11:00am

Location: Sticky’s Pot Shop, 9411 NE Highway 99, Vancouver, WA

*Trivia Night!

Date: Monday, October 8th

Time: 5:30pm

Location:  Brass Tacks, 6031 Airport Way S, Seattle, WA

The Cannabis Alliance is excited to bring you Trivia Night! It’s time to gather your friends/co-workers and test out your canna-knowledge! Whether you think you know all there is to know about cannabis or you’d like to learn more, we invite you to join us for a night of friendly competition and education, of course!

Thank you to the sponsor of this month’s winning prize, Cascadia Gardens!

*General Alliance Meeting

Date: Thursday, October 11th

Time: 12pm – 2pm

Location:  Wood Technology Center, 2310 S Lane St, Seattle, WA

As always we will be giving updates on regulations as well what’s going on legislatively. We will also be talking about very specific committees and ways you can get involved on the issues that matter to you.

The Cannabis Alliance at Lemon Haze

Date: Thursday, October 25th

Time: 2pm – 4pm

Location:  Tacoma Dome, 2727 E D St, Tacoma, WA

The Cannabis Alliance is excited to announce that they will be holding a 2 hour discussion forum at the Lemon Haze Cannabis and Comedy Convention this month. Please join us as we reexamine the role of the budtender and have a discussion about its value and impact on the industry.