By Garrett Rudolph
The legislative session set to begin in January 2015 will be pivotal for the marijuana industry in Washington State.
It will be the first chance for lawmakers to amend Initiative 502 with a simple majority, and there’s no doubt an assortment of bills regarding both the recreational and medical sides of the industry will be presented to the Legislature.
Founding members of the Washington CannaBusiness Association are working to ensure the business interests of 502 licensees are well-represented in Olympia.
“If there’s no professional advocacy group, there’s really no effective way of advocating those changes,” Executive Director Vicki Christopherson said.
The recently-formed Washington CannaBusiness Association (WaCA) and its accompanying political action committee are seeking 502 licensees to help shape the laws and regulations affecting the cannabis industry in the Evergreen State.
For now, only active licensees and I-502 applicants can become members of the trade association.
“We want to be involved with anybody who is going to be licensed,” Christopherson said.
She encourages anybody who is working toward obtaining a 502 business license to contact her to stay informed and potentially join once they have received their license.
The mission of WaCA is to advocate on behalf of its member companies in the legislative, regulatory, legal and public policy arenas.
So far, Christopherson said the response to the association has been great, because the 502 community is “hungry for this kind of organization.”
She also said she’s heard personally from regulators and legislators that they too are “hungry for an authentic advocacy group of licensees because all they’re hearing is fragmented voices. A lot of emotions; not a lot of thoughtful business sense. And that’s what they want.”
Because the industry is still in its infancy, Christopherson said there have been numerous business groups that have been formed, but many have differing interests or are hybrid 502/medical groups.
“Frankly, nobody yet has figured out how to bring together the 502 regulated industry and do it in an effective way,” she said. “So far, it’s been a very fragmented approach. What will matter most is who can get organized in the most professional way, and who will be able to put the resources behind an effective organization.”
She said there has already been a “significant financial investment” from the association’s founding members.
Christopherson said basically every industry is represented by a trade group in Olympia. The most effective approach, she said, is to have a group with a single, unified voice, rather than dozens of individuals speaking their own minds.
“Having a hundred different people with different perspectives is a good thing in some cases, but when it comes to passing laws, there is going to need to be an organized voice moving forward,” she said. “The biggest benefit (for WaCA members) will be that businesses will have an organized, professional advocate in Olympia.”
The trade association is connected to the WaCA PAC, but the political arm has a separate bank account for campaign contributions and other political activities.
Business people interested in joining WaCA can do so online at wacannabusiness.org. Dues range from $100 to $500 per month.
Christopherson can be reached at 360-485-2026 or by emailing info@wacannabusiness.org.