Getting the big parts right

It wasn’t the Vatican, but the state Liquor Control Board sent up a wisp of smoke on Wednesday, indicating it had anointed a set of proposals for governing legal sales of marijuana.

To describe things with bureaucratic precision, the board “filed official draft rules (CR 102) with the state Code Reviser” for “implementation of Initiative 502.”

Before anyone grumbles about regulatory overreach, initiative voters instructed the agency to adopt “necessary procedures and criteria” — and to do it by Dec. 1 of this year.

(But don’t schedule your holiday hookah party just yet; insiders predict it will be late winter or early spring before legal sales begin.)

There will be a two-week comment period this month, and four public hearings in August. The Liquor Control Board will then be ready to finalize things. But beating the December deadline is not the big challenge.

What matters most is that regulations succeed in some major categories.

First, they must bolster public-safety efforts, whether that means punishing operations that violate administrative rules, ensuring that legal marijuana is not diverted to illegal enterprises, or keeping criminals out of the business.

Second, they need to promote public-health policies. Foremost are safeguards against minors receiving “legalized” marijuana or being exposed to the new industry’s advertising.

Finally, they must shape a functional marketplace. The board needs to license an appropriate number of businesses, with the right levels of capital, to mesh with consumer demand.

Our state has an “illicit market that is very robust,” says board member Chris Marr. “There is a simple measurement of whether these proposals are effective: What percentage of the marketplace can we capture with a well-regulated system?”

Beyond the big issues, there are narrower considerations. The agency and its staff find themselves venturing into some specialized areas:

•Agronomy. Security issues aside, the board has learned that raising crops outdoors is cheaper but less bountiful than indoor growing. And it now realizes reliance on seeds is being supplanted by the use of cuttings from “mother plants.”

Waste disposal. Regulations provide details for how to grind up, dump and otherwise get rid of materials that aren’t bound for market.

Optics. Just how sharp do security cameras need to be?

Design and packaging. Initial rules displayed an official logo for state-licensed products, but the art reviews were, ahhh, pretty harsh. Now the board says all products and licensees will display an approved logo. Just as it says all products will come in child-proof packaging. But it will leave details up to the experts.

This is no simple undertaking.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Opinion

Initiative promoter Tim Eyman takes a selfie photo before the start of a session of Thurston County Superior Court, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021, in Olympia, Wash. Eyman, who ran initiative campaigns across Washington for decades, will no longer be allowed to have any financial control over political committees, under a ruling from Superior Court Judge James Dixon Wednesday that blasted Eyman for using donor's contributions to line his own pocket. Eyman was also told to pay more than $2.5 million in penalties. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Editorial: Initiative fee increase protects process, taxpayers

Bumped up to $156 from $5, the increase may discourage attempts to game the initiative process.

toon
Editorial cartoons for Thursday, March 28

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Washington state senators and representatives along with Governor Inslee and FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez break ground at the Swift Orange Line on Tuesday, April 19, 2022 in Lynnwood, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Editorial: Community Transit making most of Link’s arrival

The Lynnwood light rail station will allow the transit agency to improve routes and frequency of buses.

Protecting forests and prevent another landslide like Oso

Thank you for the powerful and heartbreaking article about the Oso landslide… Continue reading

Boeing’s downfall started when engineers demoted

Boeing used to be run by engineers who made money to build… Continue reading

Learn swimming safety to protect kids at beach, pool

Don’t forget to dive into water safety before hitting the pool or… Continue reading

An image of Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin is reflected in a storefront window during the State of the City Address on Thursday, March 21, 2024, at thee Everett Mall in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Editorial: State of city address makes case for Everett’s future

Mayor Franklin outlines challenges and responses as the city approaches significant decisions.

FILE - The massive mudslide that killed 43 people in the community of Oso, Wash., is viewed from the air on March 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)
Editorial: Mapping landslide risks honors those lost in Oso

Efforts continue in the state to map areas prone to landslides and prevent losses of life and property.

Comment: Why shootings have decreased but gun deaths haven’t

High-capacity magazines and ‘Glock switches’ that allow automatic fire have increased lethality.

toon
Editorial cartoons for Wednesday, March 27

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Burke: ‘Why not write about Biden, for once?’ Don’t mind if I do.

They asked; I’ll oblige. Let’s consider what the president has accomplished since the 2020 election.

Comment: Catherine missed chance to dispel shame of cancer

She wasn’t obligated to do so, but she might have used her diagnosis to educate a sympathetic public.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.