Pubdate: Mon, 08 Jul 2013
Source: Herald, The (Everett, WA)
Copyright: 2013 The Daily Herald Co.
Contact:  http://www.heraldnet.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/190

Proposed Marijuana Rules

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.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom