By Daniel Shortt, Attorney, Harris Bricken Senate Bill 5318 is making its way through the Washington legislature and seems destined for Governor Jay Inslee’s desk. As of April 16, the bill had cleared both the Washington House and Senate. If signed into law, which seems increasingly likely, SB 5318 would drastically change the way the Washington State […]
Washington
Doing Battle With The Black Market in a Heavily Taxed State
By Rob Hendrix As discussed on previous occasions, I have operated an I-502 State legal retail Cannabis shop in Central Washington State, in my hometown of Ellensburg, since August 2014. In those very early days, the Black Market was chuckling at the total ineptitude and ineffectiveness of 502 and beyond any reasonable doubt kicking our collective backsides. Prices were crazy […]
The Evolution of a Regulatory Framework
By Rob Hendrix This is an article that attempts to deal with very real problems with the roll out of 502 in general and in particular how the evolution of the Washington state regulatory framework has been affected by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB), more typically today known as the LCB. First, a […]
Ten Washington Lawmakers Claim Liquor and Cannabis Board Has a “Toxic Culture”
The bipartisan group is calling on Governor Inslee to rescind the nomination of an agency board member. Washington’s weed regulator is in hot water after a bipartisan group of ten state lawmakers said in a letter to Gov. Jay Inslee that the agency has a “toxic culture” and called on the governor to rescind his […]
Gov. Jay Inslee offers pardons for thousands with misdemeanor pot convictions
Gov. Jay Inslee will offer pardons to thousands of people with misdemeanor marijuana convictions, in an effort to help them move on from minor criminal records that can hinder housing and job prospects. Under the plan, Inslee will pardon anyone who has an otherwise clean criminal record but with a sole conviction as an adult […]
Washington to ‘reevaluate’ marijuana edibles, crack down on products that might appeal to kids
Certain cannabis-infused candies could start disappearing from store shelves across Washington early next year. The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board announced during a meeting Wednesday that it will “reevaluate” all edible marijuana products in an effort to cut back on products that may be appealing to children. Washington state, which legalized recreational pot in […]
Seattle Court Vacates Marijuana Possession Convictions
Judges in Seattle have ruled to vacate misdemeanor marijuana possession convictions in the city between 1996 and 2010. The Seattle Municipal Court judges also agreed to dismiss any misdemeanor marijuana possession charges, according to the Seattle Times. The decision, unanimous by the court’s seven judges, could affect as many as 542 people. Marijuana possession by adults 21 […]
Despite Legalization, Marijuana Black Market Hides In Plain Sight
On a big-sky plateau on the eastern slope of the Cascades, a 10-acre parcel of land has been trashed by illicit pot farmers. Abandoned equipment rusts and jugs of chemicals molder. Marijuana legalization wasn’t supposed to look like this. Five years into its experiment with legal, regulated cannabis, Washington state is finding that pot still […]
Seattle To Dismiss Marijuana Possession Convictions Prior To Legalization
In an effort to bring “restorative justice” to communities that have been disproportionately affected by drug law enforcement, Seattle’s mayor and city attorney said Thursday that the city will move to dismiss marijuana possession convictions that were prosecuted before Washington state voted to legalize the drug. The state passed a measure in 2012 allowing adults age 21 […]
Here we go again, Can the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board Get anything Right?
Five days into the implementation of the new Leaf Data System Seed to Sale system in Washington State, things are progressing slowly and causing major business disruption for licensees in the state. On the I502 Google user group, licensees and their techs have shared information and potential solutions to implement the new solution as they […]
Regulatory Oversight Debacle Blows Up In Washington State
Recently, The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) announced that their new contract, seed-to-sale (SOS) system provider, MJ Freeway and its Leaf Data System, would not be able to meet the October 31st deadline to take over the service provided by the original contractor, BioTrackTHC. After announcing an arduous work around plan for licensees to […]
Washington State Sees Steep Decline in Marijuana Prices Since Legalization
All the diverse effects of legalizing recreational marijuana may not be clear for a number of years, but one consequence has become evident almost immediately: Pot has never been so cheap. Steven Davenport of the Pardee Rand Graduate School has analyzed marijuana retail prices in Washington state since legal recreational markets opened in July 2014. Remarkably, […]
Washington State County Commissioners Want to Allow Recreational Sales in Unincorporated Areas
YAKIMA, Wa. — Yakima County Commissioners on Tuesday are expected to approve an ordinance that places a measure on the November ballot asking voters whether marijuana businesses should be allowed in unincorporated areas of the county, where currently they’re not allowed. Commissioners were expected to make the decision during their 10 a.m. business meeting Tuesday, […]
Here’s How Washington State’s Marijuana Laws Just Changed
A week ago, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed an omnibus marijuana bill, containing many changes to the regulations put in place in 2013, after Washington voters legalized recreational marijuana sales in 2012. Senate Bill 5131 passed the Senate on April 20 with a vote of 44-5, and the House that same day, 63-33. What developments […]
Organic Marijuana Certification System on Its Way in Washington State
Image Credited to Wendy McCormick Washington Governor Jay Inslee on Tuesday signed a bill that paves the way for the state to create what is believed to be the first system in the United States to certify marijuana as organic. The sponsor of the bill, Republican Senator Ann Rivers, said marijuana certified as organically grown is […]
Four Marijuana-State Govs Ask Feds to Leave Them Alone
Four governors of states where voters have legalized marijuana for recreational use are asking the Trump administration to leave in place an Obama-era agreement that gave exemptions to the legal pot industry. In a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, the governors asked the Justice Department to maintain a 2013 […]
Washington State Survey Shows Youth Marijuana Use Unchanged Since Legalization
A state-run survey of 37,000 middle and high school students in Washington state finds that marijuana legalization there has had no effect on youngsters’ propensity to use the drug. The Washington State Healthy Youth Survey found that the 2016 rate of marijuana use was basically unchanged since 2012, when the state voted to legalize marijuana […]
Washington State Marijuana Industry Split on out of States Owners
Eric Gaston owns pot stores in Renton and Auburn. He looks at lobbying in Olympia to allow out-of-state owners in Washington’s legal marijuana industry and sees trouble, a red flag waved in front of President Trump’s administration. “This has the potential to make Jeff Sessions’ head explode,” said Gaston, a former Snohomish County prosecutor, referring […]
