WSR 20-05-004
EMERGENCY RULES
LIQUOR AND CANNABIS
BOARD
[Filed February 5, 2020, 12:21 p.m., effective February 5, 2020, 12:21 p.m.]
Effective Date of Rule: Immediately upon filing.
Purpose: Chapter 314-55 WAC, Marijuana licenses, application process, requirements, and reporting, the Washington state liquor and cannabis board (board) has adopted an emergency rule to create WAC 314-55-1055 Ingredient disclosure, requiring the disclosure of all ingredients used in the production of marijuana concentrates for inhalation and marijuana extracts for inhalation. This filing supersedes and replaces emergency rules filed as WSR 19-21-100 on October 16, 2019.
Citation of Rules Affected by this Order: New WAC 314-55-1055.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 69.50.342, 69.50.345.
Under RCW 34.05.350 the agency for good cause finds that immediate adoption, amendment, or repeal of a rule is necessary for the preservation of the public health, safety, or general welfare, and that observing the time requirements of notice and opportunity to comment upon adoption of a permanent rule would be contrary to the public interest.
Reasons for this Finding: While the provisions of this emergency rule have not changed from the previous emergency rule filed as WSR 19-21-100 on October 16, 2019, the reasons supporting the necessity for this rule are modified as follows:
On November 20, 2019, the Washington state board of health (SBOH) found that the outbreak of lung disease continues to grow, and that the adoption of a rule prohibiting the sale of vapor products containing vitamin E acetate was necessary for the preservation of the public health, safety, and general welfare. The SBOH relied on the following to support its finding:
In July 2019, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), state and local health departments, and other clinical and public health partners began investigating outbreaks of lung injury associated with e-cigarette product use, or vaping.
In September 2019, the CDC activated its Emergency Operations Center to aid in the investigation of the multistate outbreak.
As of November 13, 2019, there have been two thousand one hundred seventy-two confirmed cases reported across forty-nine states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands, including forty-two deaths confirmed in twenty-four states. Fourteen cases of lung injury have been reported in Washington state.
As part of the investigation into the multistate outbreak of lung disease associated with the use of vapor products, the CDC conducted laboratory tests of twenty-nine samples of fluid collected from the lungs of patients with vaping-associated lung disease from ten states. An article released on November 8, 2019, showed that all of the samples contained vitamin E acetate, providing direct evidence of vitamin E acetate at the primary site of injury in the lungs. Vitamin E acetate is a chemical that is used as an additive or thickening ingredient in vapor products. The CDC has not determined that vitamin E acetate is present in only THC vapor products or only non-THC vapor products. THC was identified in eighty-two percent of the samples, and nicotine was identified in sixty-two percent of the samples. None of a range of other potential chemicals of concern was detected in the samples, but evidence is not yet sufficient to rule out the contribution of other chemicals, substances, or product sources to the disease. The CDC has identified vitamin E acetate as a chemical of concern and stated that, until the relationship of vitamin E acetate and lung health is better characterized, it is important that vitamin E acetate not be added to vapor products.
Specifically, the SBOH emergency rule provides, in relevant part that, "…[n]o person including, but not limited to, a person licensed under chapter 69.50 or 70.345 RCW, may sell, offer for sale, or possess with intent to sell, or offer for sale vapor products containing vitamin E acetate. The foregoing prohibition applies to the sale, offer for sale, or possession with intent to sell or offer for sale vapor products containing vitamin E acetate at any location or by any means in this state including, but not limited to, by means of a telephonic or other method of voice transmission, the mail or any other delivery service, or the internet or other online service."
This emergency rule requires that marijuana licensees disclose all compounds, including but not limited to ingredients, solvents, additives, preservatives, thickening agents, terpenes, and other substances used to produce or added to marijuana concentrates for inhalation or marijuana-infused extracts for inhalation at any point during production and processing, regardless of source or origin. Disclosure must be made to the board on forms provided by the board, and submitted to an email address or other platform provided or maintained by the board.
Because the outbreak of lung disease continues to grow, the immediate adoption of rule that establishes provisions for both the enforcement of chapter 246-80 WAC, and preservation of public health, safety and general welfare is necessary. Therefore, the immediate adoption of rule requiring disclosure of compounds and other substances, including but not limited to vitamin E acetate added to marijuana concentrates for inhalation or marijuana-infused extracts for inhalation is necessary for the preservation of public health, safety and general welfare. Adoption of this emergency rule continues to assist public health officials in isolating the compounds and products that may be connected to the growing outbreak of lung disease.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at the Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's own Initiative: New 1, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 1, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Date Adopted: February 5, 2020.
Jane Rushford
Chair
NEW SECTION
WAC 314-55-1055Ingredient disclosure.
(1) All licensed marijuana processors and producers must disclose all ingredients used in the production of marijuana concentrates for inhalation and marijuana-infused extracts for inhalation.
(2) All chemicals, compounds, additives, preservatives, thickening agents, terpenes, and other substances used at any point in the production or processing of marijuana concentrates for inhalation or marijuana-infused extracts for inhalation, regardless of source or origin, must be disclosed to the board as follows:
(a) On a form provided by the board and stored by the licensee, either electronically or in hard copy, and made available for inspection if requested by an employee of the board; and
(b) In a manner directed by the board including, but not limited to, submission to an email address or other online platform provided and maintained by the board.
(3) The complete list of all chemicals, compounds, additives, preservatives, thickening agents, terpenes, and other substances used at any point in the production or processing of marijuana concentrates for inhalation or marijuana-infused extracts for inhalation, regardless of source or origin, that is required under subsection (2) of this section must be kept and maintained, consistent with recordkeeping requirements described in WAC 314-55-087, at the facility in which the products are processed. The list must be updated whenever there is any change in product composition.