City and state officials, entrepreneurs, attorneys and others will come together June 14 for a daylong conference at the 91探花 on the future of marijuana policy in the state.
The , co-hosted by the and 91探花, will be held at the and feature 30-plus speakers. The day aims to provide a comprehensive look at current and future regulations governing the retail and medical marijuana industries in Washington and elsewhere.
The conference kicks off with an overview of state marijuana policy from , director of the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board, and a presentation from Seattle City Attorney on policy issues in the city.
Following a discussion about recent litigation in Washington鈥檚 marijuana industry and an open panel discussion, the event will break off into three afternoon tracks.
A business and enterprise section will delve into banking issues and legal practices in the industry and include a panel discussion with industry representatives. A science and medical track will explore issues ranging from the use of pesticides on marijuana crops to educating consumers about marijuana risks, and a social impact section will look at legal and business practices, cannabis regulations and enforcement, and diversity (or lack thereof) in the industry.
The 91探花conference comes at a time of rapid changes in the national marijuana landscape. Washington 鈥� which legalized recreational marijuana in 2012, along with Colorado 鈥� is in the process of merging its medical and retail marijuana markets. Alaska, Oregon and the District of Columbia legalized marijuana in 2014, and many are looking to , where a vote on legalization appears headed for the November ballot, as a bellwether of national legalization efforts.
The public event is the first put on by the Cannabis Law and Policy Project, launched by 91探花law professor in fall 2014 to research regulatory issues around Washington鈥檚 new legal marijuana industry. The project鈥檚 executive director, , said while conference participation will count toward attorneys鈥� mandatory continuing education credits, the day is aimed at a broader audience.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to have a mix of policymakers, lawyers and industry leaders,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 excited about the conference. We鈥檙e going to have a good discussion about the various issues impacting the cannabis industry.鈥�
The conference will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Room 138 at the , 4293 Memorial Way NE. Registration is available , with an early fee of $85 or $120, and $115 or $150 after June 3, and $25 for students anytime.
For more information, contact M茅ndez at smendez@uw.edu or 206-616-3920.