Banning flavored products would benefit public health

The Washington State Liquor Control Board’s proposed rules for implementing the new commercial marijuana marketplace in our state does not ban items attractive to youth including flavored marijuana. 

Meanwhile, the Food & Drug Administration is considering banning menthol flavored cigarettes.  According to a Washington Post story:

When Congress gave the FDA power to regulate tobacco in 2009, lawmakers banned candy-, fruit- and spice-flavored cigarettes, saying manufacturers had used such products to lure young smokers into addiction. But the law exempted menthol, instead instructing the FDA to study the issue to determine whether restricting or banning menthol would benefit public health.

In 2010, an FDA advisory panel made up of doctors, scientists and public-health experts convened to weigh that question. The next year, the group issued a 250-page report saying that menthol made it easier to get hooked and more difficult to quit smoking. The group concluded that “removal of menthol cigarettes from the marketplace would benefit the public health in the United States.”

WA Representatives get an update about marijuana legalization and liquor privatizaion

Earlier this week, the Washington House Government Accountability & Oversight Committee held a work session about the implementation of Initiatives 502 (marijuana) and 1183 (liquor).

The first part of the work session dealt with the implementation of I-502 during which Liquor Control Board staff provided a progress report and answered questions from Committee members.

Here are a few notes about what was discussed regarding marijuana:

When discussing the public safety aspects of the Liquor Control Board's draft rules for I-502, Representative Hurst commented that the Board is off to a good start and that he expects that there will be a need to "go back and make changes" to the rules at a later date.

Rick Garza from the Liquor Control Board noted that substance abuse prevention advocates and the Governor both expressed serious concerns about advertising.  He noted that it's unlikely that they will be able to do anything about advertising through social and electronic media.

A discussion about a possible lottery for retail license applications and how that might affect the density of stores in certain geographical areas starts at around 41:00.

A discussion about the costs to cities and towns associated with implementing I-502 starts at about 54:00.

At about 1:12:00, Alison Holcomb from the ACLU discusses public health concerns and their efforts to reach out to substance abuse prevention and treatment providers.

To close the discussion about marijuana, Ms. Holcomb and Rep. Hurst discussed the problems associated with dabbing.

Preventing youth marijuana use: What works?

Last week, WASAVP hosted "What Works!", a symposium for Washington prevention advocates and providers about what can be done to prevent youth marijuana use.  Presentations from the symposium are now available on the Athena Forum website.

Risk and Protective Factors for Youth Marijuana Use: Preliminary Findings

Predicting the Uncertain Future of Legal Marijuana

Environmental Prevention Strategies Discussion: Lessons Learned from the Field

Initiative 502 Implementation: Creating Washington's system of legalized marijuana 

Making comments about proposed rules

Tobacco Lessons for Marijuana Policies and Environmental Systems Interventions

High School Traffic Safety Programs

What Works? Program Review

Liquor Control Board to hold public hearings

UPDATED JULY 15 - New dates & places!

The Washington State Liquor Control Board will hold four public hearings across Washington regarding the proposed rules for Initiative 502 implementation. The hearings are a required part of the rulemaking process and provide an opportunity for stakeholders to offer public testimony on the proposed rules for I-502.

“Everything we’ve done regarding I-502 has drawn a crowd and we want to accommodate everyone. Having four hearings across the state allows us to do that,” said Board Chair Sharon Foster. “This is a chance for those who are impacted by, or anticipate being involved in, the business of marijuana to testify for the record about the proposed rules.”

August 6:          

Everett Holiday Inn

3105 Pine Street

Everett, WA  98201

1:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Seattle Center

NW Rooms, Olympic Rooms

305 Harrison Street

Seattle, WA 98109

6:00 - 9:00 p.m.

August 7:    

Red Lion Hotel

Fir and Spruce Ballroom

2300 Evergreen Park Drive SW

Olympia, WA  98502

9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Central Washington University

Student Union Ballroom B and C

400 E University Way

Ellensburg, WA  98926

6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

August 8:

Spokane Convention Center

Ballroom 100A

334 West Spokane Falls Blvd

Spokane, WA  99201

6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Additional information regarding the proposed rules for I-502 implementation -- including the proposed rules, a summary of changes, answers to frequently asked questions and Small Business Economic Impact Statement -- is available on the WSLCB website at: www.liq.wa.gov/marijuana/I-502.

Liquor Control Board discusses their proposed rules

The Washington State Liquor Control Board's meeting during which they released their proposed marijuana rules is now available to be viewed online.  After the Rules Coordinator provided an overview of the proposed rules, the Board made their own individual comments and opened the floor for questions from the audience, mostly media.

Board members all indicated that the medical marijuana system needs to be reconciled with the recreational marijuana system.  Sharon Foster stated that medical marijuana "as it stands" has to come into "this world" and will need to be licensed, taxed, and regulated.

Board Member Chris Marr's comments included:

• the ban on marijuana extracts needs a legislative fix.  
• the ability to enforce laws is stretched.  
• as the rules stand now, there is nothing to prevent an "oligopoly" with all of its downsides.
• though a responsible vendor program is not included in these rules, he still wants to start one.
• he is frustrated with the "lack or engagement" from the federal Justice Department.
• it is unclear how much of the marijuana market will be captured by the new legal market as it goes up against the medical marijuana and illicit markets.  
• prices for marijuana sold through the illicit market may drop.

Though some youth substance abuse prevention and marijuana education is to be funded with revenue from marijuana sales, it will take a while for that money to flow to the Division of Behavioral Health & Recovery and the Department of Health.  However, the Liquor Control Board is working with a variety or agencies and organizations to get some basic information out sooner rather than later.  It was noted that it will be especially important to educate consumers about infused products.  

Liquor Control Board releases proposed marijuana rules

The Washington State Liquor Control Board (Board) today approved the proposed rules that, if ultimately enacted, will help govern Washington State’s system of producing, processing and retailing recreational marijuana. The 42-page, single-spaced rules detail the requirements for participating in Washington’s system.

“Public safety is our top priority,” said Board Chair Sharon Foster.

The Board will host public hearings about the proposed rules in Ellensburg, Olympia, the Seattle area, and Spokane August 6-8 and final rules will be adopted August 14.  While the rules will be adopted by the end of this summer, they are not un-changeable.  Like alcohol rules, marijuana rules are expected to change as this new commercial system matures.  

WHO Director: Big business bad for public health

Later today, the Washington State Liquor Control Board will release draft rules for a commercial marijuana marketplace in our state.  As we consider what such a for-profit system should look like, it behooves us to reflect on what has happened with other legal consumables, including food, soda, and alcohol, and their affect on public health. 

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Margaret Chan recently stated that noncommunicable diseases have overtaken infectious diseases as the leading cause of death worldwide.  She pointed to Big Business as one of the most serious challenges to overcoming these problems: “It is not just Big Tobacco anymore. Public health must also contend with Big Food, Big Soda, and Big Alcohol. All of these industries fear regulation, and protect themselves by using the same tactics.”  In particular, she declared Big Alcohol one of the most serious challenges to public health in an address to the 2013 Global Conference on Health Promotion. Chan noted corporate use of front groups, lobbyists, promises of self-regulation, lawsuits, and industry-funded research that “confuses the evidence and keeps the public in doubt," along with the use of gifts, grants, and contributions that falsely cast industry as respectable corporate citizens.   

Read more about how Big Alcohol can't police itself, and Big Alcohol's deceptive use of "drink responsibly" themes. 

Surveys about economics of marijuana production & heavy marijuana use

From the Washington State Liquor Control Board:


The WSLCB is facilitating a request from BOTEC Analysis Corporation, our contracted marijuana consultants, seeking survey participants for two separate research projects. The more people who participate in each survey the more accurate and refined the results will be. If you are interested in participating the details on each of them is located below:

·         Angela Hawken, a professor of public policy at Pepperdine University and a co-author of "Marijuana Legalization: What Everyone Needs to Know" is studying the economics of cannabis production. To do so, she's collecting data from cultivators on their operating costs and has built an easily-accessible web survey on the economics of cultivation (http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/DCH6YXK). In particular, she is looking for those cultivators with the business sense and awareness of their books to provide substantive answers. Each respondent improves Dr. Hawken's model of the cannabis industry by providing more evidence on the actual costs of cannabis production.

·         Beau Kilmer, a research with the RAND Corporation, is working to learn more about cannabis consumption throughout the state.  As part of that task he's developed a short and confidential survey (no more than 15 minutes for heavy users, less for others) which asks users about how much cannabis they use, what products they use, how much they spend, etc. The survey will be the most detailed yet on cannabis use habits, and is available at www.mjsurvey.org

Reconciling WA medical and recreational marijuana markets

The Washington State budget that was approved this week includes a proviso about reconciling the recreational  marijuana marketplace with the medical marijuana system.  It states (on page 32): 

The liquor control board must work with the department of health and the department of revenue to develop recommendations for the legislature regarding the interaction of medical marijuana regulations and the provisions of Initiative Measure No. 502.  At a minimum, the recommendations must include provisions addressing the following:

(i) Age limits; 
(ii) Authorizing requirements for medical marijuana;
(iii) Regulations regarding health care professionals;
(iv) Collective gardens;
(v) Possession amounts;
(vi) Location requirements;
(vii) Requirements for medical marijuana producing, processing, and retail licensing;
(viii) Taxation of medical marijuana in relation to recreational marijuana; and
(ix) The state agency that should be the regulatory body for medical cannabis.

The board must submit its recommendations to the appropriate committees of the legislature by January 1, 2014.