Social Equity License Mobility: What’s Next

The LCB received three petitions for rulemaking requesting amendments to rules regarding license mobility for Cannabis Social Equity program licenses. The petitions requested the Board allow Social Equity licenses to move outside their originally allocated county.

WAC 314–55–570(4)(d) states:

“Social equity licenses that are currently designated to specific cities may be located anywhere within the county in which the city is located. However, the license may not be transferred outside of that county.”

On July 17, 2024, the Board accepted these petitions, initiating rulemaking proceedings to consider the requested changes.

What does this mean?

Accepting the petitions means that the Board will consider the petitioners’ requests in the current social equity rulemaking. Until new permanent rules are in effect, Social Equity licenses are still required to be in the original county where their license was issued.

When will rulemaking be completed?

If approved by the Board, the Social Equity rulemaking is anticipated to complete on September 25, 2024, when the CR 103 is filed in the Washington State Register. Based on this timeline, rules would become effective beginning October 26, 2024. For a more detailed timeline, check out our previous blog post.

What changes are being considered for WAC 315–55–570(4)(d)?

There are no finalized changes to the Social Equity rules. However, you can review the current draft rules here. We encourage you to participate in Board meetings and surveys to share any feedback you have on the draft rules!

How can I stay updated?

• Regularly check the blog
  The Social Equity team will post regular updates to the blog with information on rules, new program updates, and other topics relevant to Social Equity. Sign up for Medium and follow us here to receive notifications when we make new blog posts!
• Tune in to Board meetings
  Our Board meets every other Wednesday to discuss current LCB rules, topics, and to hear input from the public. To review our Board meetings schedule, you can visit our website here.
• Sign up for the GovDelivery listserv
  The LCB sends out regular communications about all agency topics. Sign up for these notifications here to get the latest LCB news.