Board to Host Roundtable on Safety at Cannabis Retail Stores

OLYMPIA -- In the wake of a deadly spate of armed robberies at three cannabis retail stores which resulted in three deaths within four days, the Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) will next week host an online roundtable to discuss safety at cannabis retailers. The LCB will meet with cannabis retailers, elected officials, national SAFE Banking Act advocates, and others to discuss this urgent safety crisis.

Opportunity to Share and Influence
The roundtable panel will include: Michael Correia, Director of Govt. Affairs for the National Cannabis Industry Association; State Treasurer Mike Pellicciotti; Sen. Karen Keiser; cannabis retailer; and Enforcement and Education Division Director Chandra Brady. The panel will be facilitated by LCB Chair David Postman.

The tragic events of the last week and the escalation of armed robberies over the last several months have demonstrated the urgent need for Congress to act. The lack of banking services has become a catalyst for a very real public safety crisis in Washington State. Due to their forced reliance on cash transactions, cannabis retailers have increasingly become targets for armed robbers.

Thus far in 2022, reports show that there have been over 50 robberies of cannabis businesses, many of them armed, in Washington State. This surpasses the number of robberies in all of 2021.

The roundtable is an opportunity for state leaders, policy makers, regulators and law enforcement to hear directly from participating retailers as well as to share information that could help.

Event Details

  • Tuesday, March 29, 2022 -- 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
  • Join on your computer or mobile app
  • Or call in (audio only)
    • +1 564-999-2000,,168726506# United States, Olympia
    • Phone Conference ID: 168 726 506#
       

Please join the LCB Board and staff for this important, timely discussion. The listen- and view-only event will include:

  • Perspectives from Michael Correia on national conversations on the SAFE Banking Act;
  • Updates from Treasurer Pellicciotti on his recent lobbying efforts in D.C. to urge Congress to pass the federal SAFE Banking Act;
  • Keiser’s efforts as Chair of the Senate Labor, Commerce and Tribal Affairs Committee work to enact retail safety measures in the state legislature;
  • First-hand experiences and insights of retailers; and
  • LCB Enforcement and Education Division experiences and insights.
     


We hope you join us on March 29.