Washington Needs Cannabis Consumer Advocacy

Like every advocacy group, Patients and Users for Reasonable Policy (PURP) was formed because we didn’t feel that our interests, goals, or perspectives were being represented by any other advocacy groups in Washington. In doing our research we found that the most influential cannabis advocacy groups in the state almost exclusively speak to the needs of licensees (I502 business owners), and occasionally seriously ill medical patients [when it suits the needs of licensees], but never everyday cannabis consumers.

We here at PURP are actually pro-business— especially small businesses that compensate their workers well and do their part to alleviate the damage caused by cannabis prohibition— but we felt that existing advocacy groups like Cannabis Alliance, Craft Cannabis Coalition, and Washington CannaBusiness Association would hesitate to speak to the true needs of cannabis users as they will sometimes be contradictory to the interests of established licensees.

For example, there are instances in which Washington cannabis industry organizations successfully lobbied to increase the allowable thresholds for microbiological life (aerobic bacteria, yeasts & molds, and coliform), enterobacteria, and residual solvents in Washington’s cannabis products; these businesses got to lower their safety standards and improve their bottom lines, all at the expense of the consumers who keep them open. Clearly these business-focused organizations are not a good fit for consumers.

Alternatively, patient or consumer advocacy groups are practically non-existent in Washington. Americans for Safe Access is an extremely influential patient advocacy group that has done tremendous work to make medical marijuana more accessible and normalized on a national level, though as far as we can tell they haven't been active in Washington since the medical market was officially merged into the recreational market in 2015.

NORML Washington is still fighting the good fight, but their branding frankly doesn’t translate well to the younger demographic of cannabis consumers (21-35) that we want to get involved in the legislative process.

The cannabis users of Washington need a unified voice to speak out against over-regulations that have resulted in wasteful packaging, weak edibles, dry weed, high taxes, no delivery services, no homegrows, and nowhere to consume legally. This shit needs to change.

If 80% of the cannabis industry’s sales come from 20% of its total customers, the heaviest cannabis users and patients should have a significant say in the way the way cannabis regulations are written by legislators and interpreted by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB).

PURP is fighting for the rights and interests of cannabis users all over Washington. Join us, and together we can build the cannabis industry we always dreamed of.