The Cannabis Alliance

Special Events: Lobby Day - At the beginning of 2023, The Cannabis Alliance organized Lobby Day to bring our members to the state capitol to interact with their lawmakers. We provided training and materials as well as mentorship throughout the day. Participants attended 39 meetings in over 19 districts over two virtual days. Summit - We held our annual policy summit in September of 2022 in person after two years of a virtual meeting. We hosted a little over 100 speakers and attendees. The theme, Foundations and Futures focused on the ongoing policy concerns of the developing cannabis market in Washington state. Recurring Programming: General Meetings - 90-minute meetings held once a month include Board of Directors Update, Regulatory Update, Legislative Update, Guest Speaker (wide range of topics from research, to sustainability and best practices), Member Spotlight, and Good for the Cause (announcements). Happy Hour - Weekly 90-minute online networking events. This meeting is open to the public and we have a healthy mix of recurring attendees as well as new participants. We discuss cannabis, current events, and culture. Office Hours - We maintain Office hours on Mondays and Fridays from 11 AM - 1 PM virtually open to the public. Cannabis Alliance staff and board members make themselves available to answer questions and chat with members and the public about any pertinent topics. Sometimes it is a whole group discussion and often small groups work in break-out rooms as needed. It is a vital component to maintaining a connected organization spanning the state. Webinar Wednesday - We broadcast weekly webinar series streaming on Facebook. In 2022 topics included Establishing a Cannabis Research Commission, Cooking with Cannabis, Interview with Imani Barbrin, Arrest Protection, Legislative Roundtable with Representative Shelley Kloba and Senator Karen Keiser, Homegrow Legalization, and Legislative Reviews. Committees: Education and Outreach - The Cannabis Alliance's Education Committee gathers accurate and vetted content that encompasses the therapeutic and other benefits of cannabis. Our goal is to eliminate the negative stigma that surrounds cannabis and those who use it. We work with people from all aspects of the cannabis industry, utilizing their knowledge, strengths, and abilities to gather information. We then reach out to our Washington State communities to share this information. We do this by volunteering at events, conducting presentations, coordinating tours, and more. Equity & Justice - The Cannabis Alliance is committed to addressing the harm caused by the war on drugs and our Equity and Justice Committee is designated to seek opportunities to affect material and lasting change. The committee has worked with partners like Last Prisoner Project and Clearviction to learn how to best support Washingtonians to expunge their record on nonviolent cannabis misdemeanors. The committee has brought educational speakers like writer and disability rights advocate, Imani Barbarin, Rep. Tara Simmons, and the committee has organized panels discussing re-entry for formerly incarcerated community members, equity efforts across the state, and arrest protection for patients. We have prioritized valued partners like The Full Spectrum with sponsorship and sharing our platform for educational content like The Queer History of Cannabis and Rainbow Washing among others. The Equity and Justice Committee has also supported ongoing efforts to build stronger bridges with tribal partners to develop opportunities for collaboration and demonstrate support for tribal sovereignty. Legislative - The Legislative Committee stays apprised of all cannabis-related legislative activity during the session and the interim. The committee creates a strategy for priority legislation, coordinates testimony with our legislative team, and participates in grassroots candidate support for sensible cannabis policy. Patient Caucus - The Patient Caucus is dedicated to improving the lives of all cannabis patients. This committee works to bring legislative measures forward and impacts rulemaking at the WSLCB and the Department of Health. The committee also stands in support of the patient community to maintain legacy networks of strength in the regulated adult-use market. Social Consumption - The social consumption committee has worked on legislation in Washington State for social consumption for the last several years. Momentum was beginning to build when COVID ended all conversations about how we might be allowed to legally consume cannabis socially. This committee has renewed the effort and would like your input! We will be building on past work with a renewed eye to successes in additional legal states as models as well as an opportunity to emphasize social equity at the forefront of this effort. Sustainability - The sustainability committee is focused on creating opportunities for the industry and consumer base to build a more sustainable cannabis industry through practice and policy change at the regulatory and legislative levels. In past years our efforts have eliminated tons from the landfill by reducing bag thickness and eliminating dosing caps.