advise the state Liquor Control Board (soon to be called the Liquor and Cannabis Board) on granting licenses. The license allows researchers to produce and possess marijuana for things like testing potency, conducting clinical trials of marijuana-derived treatments, and studying genomic or agricultural questions.
The bill passed the House unanimously and the Senate on a vote of 45-3. Inslee signed it April 24. It’s unclear how this research license program would proceed if the LSDF were dissolved. “That’s a little bit of an odd message,” DesRosier said.
Meanwhile, the Legislature is considering a handful of bills to create a dedicated funding stream for cancer research, following last year’s aborted attempt to do so by voter initiative. The funding sources range from a 50-cents-a-pack additional tax on cigarettes to a $100 monthly surcharge on state and school district employees who smoke. One of the proposals—House Bill 2194 and Senate Bill 6101—would have the LSDF administer the cancer fund. Other proposals would create a new state agency or tap an outside nonprofit organization.
DesRosier said the LSDF is prepared to take on additional responsibilities. He positions the LSDF, which has a staff of six and relies on expert review panels to evaluate grant proposals, as a platform that can support research across a range of fields.
“There’s nothing magical about what we do that can’t be translated to other areas, whether it’s ag or animal science or biofuels,” he said. “It all comes down to doing the due diligence, and having the right experts to do it.”
But for now, it all comes down to the legislative budget endgame.
