Washington State Cannabis Commission
Presented by the WSCC Action Committee
How will the WS-CC be formed?
Commissions are established either by statute (e.g., the Wine Commission and Beer Commission) or by the adoption of a document referred to as a “Marketing Order” (MO) under one of two enabling statutes administered by the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA).
WS-CC will be formed via referendum under enabling legislation (RCW 15.66) and will come into existence after a petition is circulated showing support then followed by a vote of licensed producers and upon the approval of the Director of the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA).
NOTE: The WS-CC MO has been fashioned after those of other commodity commissions and is vetted by the WSDA and Attorney General's Office (AGO).
What are the WS-CC assessment rates?
The assessment rates are set at a maximum of $1.50 per every $1000 sold of Processed Products (.0015 x $old value) and two dollars per every $1000 sold of Unprocessed Product (.002 x $old value). Initially, the assessments will be 50% of the above rates
EXAMPLE OF ASSESSMENTS
Product Type:
Quarterly Sales
Assessment Rate
Due
Unprocessed Product
$100,000
x .002
$200.00
Processed Product*
$100,000
x .0015
$150.00
*usable marijuana, concentrates, edibles, beverages, tinctures, topicals, intermediate, infused products, etc.
(Assessment examples are only available on the desktop version of this site or in the printable FAQ document, linked at the bottom of this page)
How are assessments collected and paid?
The MO adopts a self-assessment-and-payment system applicable to all Producers and Producer/Processors. Payments to the WS-CC are due on the last day of the fiscal quarter following the quarter in which the First Sale occurred.
If I do not sell any part of my harvest, is there any assessment?
No. Assessments are made only upon the first manifested sale of cannabis Un-Processed or Processed Products. No sale, no assessment.
Are there any exemptions for assessments?
Pre-harvest material (seeds, plants, cuttings and clones) are not assessed and will not constitute a first sale. The Marketing Order also calls for no assessments on certain transfers such as vendor samples, lab and R&D samples, returned or recalled product nor on donations to lawful recipients.
Who will sit on the board of the WS-CC and how are members of the board elected?
There will be 13 members of the board; 12 stakeholders plus the DOA Director. Stakeholders will be elected on a geographical basis by vote. Each Producer licensee is entitled to one (1) vote. For purposes of WSCC elections, the state is divided into four (4) Districts, each of which will elect two (2) representatives. Four seats will be held by at-large Statewide elections. Provisions in the MO ensure at least one (1) representative of each Tier has a voting position on the WSCC at all times. Members serve a 3 year term.
Advisory seats will be held by representatives of the WSLCB, a Processor, a Retailer and a Testing Lab.
List of Counties Comprising the Four (4) Voting Districts for the WSCC
District 1
Seats #1 & #2 comprises the counties of Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, King, Jefferson, Island, San Juan, and Clallam.
District 4
Seats #7 & #8 comprises the counties of Grays Harbor, Mason, Kitsap, Pierce, Thurston, Pacific, Lewis, Wahkiakum, Cowlitz, Clark, Skamania, and Klickitat.
District 2
Seats #3 & #4 comprises the counties of Okanogan, Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Kittitas, Ferry, Stevens, and Pend Oreille.
Statewide
Seat #9 at large
Seat #10 Tier 1
Seat #11 Tier 2
Seat #12 Tier 3
District 3
Seats #5 & #6 comprises the counties of Lincoln, Yakima, Spokane, Adams, Whitman, Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield, and Asotin.
Are the WS-CC board members paid a salary for their services?
No, but members are eligible for a statutory stipend for attendance at meetings and reimbursement of related out-of-pocket costs.
Will the WS-CC be allowed to fund marketing like all other Ag commissions?
A primary objective of the WS-CC will be to fund and supervise cannabis-related research, education and government outreach that will be of direct benefit to cannabis producers in the state. Due primarily to the federal restrictions on cannabis, the WS-CC will be prevented from funding traditional marketing or other promotional activities but will otherwise enjoy a broad mandate to engage in services for the benefit of Washington state cannabis farmers.
Once created, the statutory authority of the WSCC will include "to speak on behalf of the Washington state government with regard to Cannabis" and will expressly be empowered to act in an advisory capacity to the Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) other regulatory agencies and government bodies.
What are the stated purposes of the WS-CC?
1.
To establish plans and conduct programs for Cannabis-related matters