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Where We Came From

2018

January

4th Annual Summit. Opening Keynote AG Bob Ferguson just days after the Cole Memo was rescinded.

Lobby Day

February

LEAF goes live “with known defects.”

The Cannabis Alliance pressured the WSLCB to create, and then attended, a LEAF/WSLCB/Integrator Webinar and Q&A.

In the midst of Y502Khaos, The Alliance and our members present to the legislature on lab standardization.

March

Started offering Health Benefits to members via Lifestyle Health Plans

Officially became members of NCIA’s Allied Associations Program. Linking us with cannabis associations around the nation.

March/April

Started engaging with WSU on the beginnings of more robust research regarding cannabis impairment.

Participated in AWB’s Spring Meeting on a panel titled “Cannabis and the Modern Workplace” Featuring Mitzi Vaughn, General Counsel for The Alliance.

Omnibus Rulemaking happening at the WLSCB including Volume Discounts. Loudly objected resulting in its removal.

June

The Cannabis Alliance participates in WSDA’s Organic Standards Advisory Committee.

The Alliance in the movies! Premier of “Oberfelder’s Cannabis Farm, The Good, The Bad, The Happy” in Bellingham. Danielle Rosellsion and Caitlein Ryan both appear in this film about the challenges and biases facing cannabis farmers.

Participated in NCIA’s Lobby Days in Washington DC as well as tagged along with Oregon Cannabis Association’s DC Lobby Day.

Summer

Trivia Nights begin!

Waste Committee starts making headlines. “The goal is to eliminate single-use plastic from our industry,” Lammers said

Fall/Winter

Host of the 1st purchasing managers seminar in WA State.

Reinterpretation of the rules by the LCB on Marijuana infused Edibles results in CORE, WACA and The Cannabis Alliance coming together for the first time.

Budtender Education Seminar at Lemonhaze.

The Cannabis Alliance hosts The Gong Show

For 2019 and 2020 look at current initiatives and priorities!

2017

3rd Annual Cannabis Summit. Opening Keynote: Jeremy Plumb

Spokane Emergency Ban

Lobby Day in coordination with NORML

…so many workgroups (Quality Assurance, Packaging & Labeling, Traceability…), hosted a WA State Cannabis Lab Roundtable, 1st WSLCB Cannabis Advisory Council (CAC) Meeting

1st Inter-lab Round Robin Study completed and published

2nd Annual Kickball Cup
HB1858 and SB5130 introduced which increases fees on licensees to pay for a new traceability system
2017 Regular Session House Bill 1692 introduced with bipartisan support.

2016

2nd Annual Cannabis Summit. Opening Keynote Hezekiah Allen

Participation in WSLCB’s Quality Assurance Workgroup begins

Version 3 of Regulatory Guidance for Cannabis Operations, a document created in partnership by the Interagency Resource for Achieving Cooperation, is published.
Awarded a Safety & Health Investment Projects (SHIP) Grant from Labor & Industries, in cooperation with the University of Washington, to measure Worker Exposure to UV Radiation in the Cannabis Industry, and Efficacy of Protective Clothing. Resulting in an education campaign called “Shine a Light on Safety”
Hosted a Leadership Summit in Ellensburg in an attempt to find consensus between organizations.
1st Annual Kickball Cup in Soap Lake, WA
First democratically elected board of the Cannabis Alliance is sworn in.

2015

1st Cannabis Summit created as a coalition between CCSE, CAUSE-M, NWPPR and WMA. Got schooled on what a commission actually is. Opening Keynote: Tommy Chong
SB 5052 & HB 2136 introduced WMA, CCSE, CAUSE-M and NWPPR worked together as best as possible to fix the bills.
Committee works on drafting a Marketing Order for a future WA State Cannabis Commission.

Summer

The Commission committee meets with WSDA to present the concept of forming a commission.
CAUSE-M, CCSE, NWPPR and WMA have a retreat in Gold Bar to seriously discuss merging the four organizations together.

Fall/Winter

CCSE & CAUSE-M do Pest Management workshops around the State
NWPPR wins Best Cannabis Assoc at the DOPE Industry Awards
WMA, CCSE, CAUSE-M, NWPPR officially merge to form The Cannabis Alliance.

2014

The “Health Before Happy Hour” campaign begins in an attempt to keep medical cannabis from being eliminated in the face of I-502 implementation

CAUSE-M is founded in Yakima, WA in response to Yakima County Commissioners Voting to Ban Cannabis Businesses

Danielle Rosellison starts the 502 Google Group to connect licensees.

CBC joins with more people and officially becomes Washington Marijuana Association (WMA)

March

The WSLCB issues the state’s first producer / processing license to Kouchlock Productions.

July

The first retail store in Seattle, Cannabis City, opens.

Fall

Meeting of the Minds. Seed is planted for strategic partnering between CCSE, CAUSE-M, NWPPR and WMA. A partnership that will eventually turn into The Cannabis Alliance.

Winter

CCSE wins Best Industry Association awards at DOPE Industry awards.

2013

The WSLCB is writing rules on i502 implementation.

First iteration of Washington Marijuana Association starts in a former dispensary in Ballard. They meet monthly and call the organization the CannaBusiness Coalition (CBC).

Northwest Producer, Processors and Retailers Association (NWPPR) also forms around this time.

The CCSE is holding workshops on 280e reform, among other things.

2012

City of Seattle Responds to Federal Government and protesters march to the Federal Courthouse and demonstrate.

I-502 is approved by voters.

2011

January

Regular Session SENATE BILL 5073, Concerning the medical use of cannabis, is introduced. Sponsored by Jeanne Kohl-Welles.

April

Governor vetoes large sections of the bill. “Gregoire’s partial veto Friday leaves cities and counties without the clarity they had sought as to how to deal with dispensaries.” US Attorney for the Eastern District of WA Michael C. Ormsby ordered all dispensaries in Spokane to cease operations. Most complied, but several owners who refused were arrested.

May

Initiative 502 submitted to the Washington Secretary of State.

July

The Seattle City Council passed Ordinance 123661 establishing a regulatory framework for the growing number of dispensaries in Seattle. The Council unanimously passed its own ordinance because legislative efforts to address medical marijuana foundered.

Fall of 2011

City of Seattle sent a blanket letter to cannabis business owners in the city asking for a professional resource to come to with questions. Those who answered the call formed a new organization called the Coalition for Cannabis Standards & Ethics (CCSE).

2009

Cannabis Defense Coalition Formed. Cannabis Defense Coalition was a nonprofit, nonpartisan, membership organization devoted to reducing the harms associated with drug use. They advocate for sensible, science-based drug policy, and for the health, safety and civil liberties of individuals and communities affected by drugs.

2003

Seattle passed an initiative making adult marijuana possession the lowest priority of law enforcement agencies in the city. Tacoma passed a similar initiative in 2011.

1998

February 26, Initiative 692 was filed by Robert K. Killian of Seattle. 260,335 signatures were collected to qualify it to be placed on the ballot.

Although the law did not explicitly allow dispensaries, many were established and often went ignored by law enforcement.