Listening session: marijuana laboratory licensure

The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) will hold two public listening sessions to investigate the topic of licensure for the marijuana testing laboratories.

In current industry structure, marijuana laboratories are certified/accredited by WSLCB. Labs are required to meet the necessary requirements to maintain certification but are not licensed by WSLCB. They are also required to maintain a valid business license with the Department of Revenue.

The Monday, June 3 session offers a webinar option, while the June 5 forum in Spokane does not. Please click the image below or here to register for the June 3 event: http://bit.ly/MJLab19

House Bill 2052, which passed during the 2019 Washington State legislative session, begins the process of moving marijuana laboratory accreditation to the Department of Ecology (DOE). In the future, labs are required to maintain accreditation with DOE and maintain a valid business license with the Department of Revenue. 

A possible future mandate (employed by a number of other states regulating marijuana) is to require lab accreditation as a pre-requisite for licensure with the agency tasked with marijuana regulation.

We will ask for your feedback in a structured forum to gather input on the topic of lab licensure with WSLCB. A new license type for labs would require a legislative change.

Please send written comments to rules@lcb.wa.gov. 

Find an agenda from April's forum to give you an idea of the session's contents here: Agenda. 

Process

Information will be gathered in person and in writing. This is an exploratory conversation that will inform WSLCB on possible future action. The information gathered will be considered public comment and shared in documentation that captures the feedback received in person and in writing. 

These meetings are intended to provide a forum for input to WSLCB staff in their considerations. It is not designed to discuss other topics than the one outlined in this notice. The length of time for each participant will be moderated to ensure that all who express an interest in providing in-person feedback have an opportunity to do so.

We hope that you consider providing your input to us through the channels available. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach me at 360-664-4555 or kendra.hodgson@lcb.wa.gov.