To: WA State LCB, Enforcement Customer Service, Alana Cooper, King County Enforcement Officer, Nona Enfgelhard, Central/Eastern Washington Enforcement Officer, Mathew McCallum, Northwest Washington Enforcement Officer, Kelly Higbee, Southwes...
Washington State Liquor & Cannabis Board: Have a Heart! Allow workers to receive tips!
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Washington State Liquor & Cannabis Board: Have a Heart and allow I 502 retail workers to accept and receive unsolicited customer tips.
The Liquor and Cannabis Board are not the ones educating and informing the customers about the variety of legal marijuana products sold and the safe handling and usage related to these products. It is a public safety service that the 502 retail workers provide to the community at large.
If a customer would like to tip a worker, the LCB should have no authority over that decision. Please allow tipping in the 502 retail stores.
The Liquor and Cannabis Board are not the ones educating and informing the customers about the variety of legal marijuana products sold and the safe handling and usage related to these products. It is a public safety service that the 502 retail workers provide to the community at large.
If a customer would like to tip a worker, the LCB should have no authority over that decision. Please allow tipping in the 502 retail stores.
Why is this important?
EDIT * VICTORY*
"The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) has received several inquiries asking about the practice of bud tender tip jars. In response, the LCB has reviewed their position and this bulletin is to clarify the policy on allowable tipping.
Tipping has not been an allowable practice in a licensed retail marijuana location. This position was adopted based on an interpretation of RCW 69.50.357, and indications that prices of products were being manipulated based on the size of a tip to avoid paying excise tax. However, changes in RCW 69.50.535 established in 2ESHB 2136 (Laws of 2015, 2d Spec. Sess., Ch. 4), modified the tax structure associated with marijuana sales, partially negating the concerns associated with prices being adjusted to avoid taxes. The legislation also prohibited sales of marijuana and marijuana products conditioned on the buyer’s purchase of a service or non-marijuana product. RCW 69.50.380. It placed restrictions on “bundled” transactions as well. RCW 69.50.570. Due to the statutory change, the Board has revisited the policy position, and its interpretation of RCW 69.50.357.
Effective immediately, customer tipping is now an allowable practice in licensed retail marijuana stores. However, tipping cannot be required or a condition of sale, nor can it be linked to the price of the product to avoid tax obligations. If a licensee allows tipping for their staff, licensees are reminded that there may be business or employee taxes associated with tips received."
Together, let's force the hand of the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board in the favor of worker's rights, the community and justice !!
The LCB recently responded to our question concerning whether or not our employees could receive tips, saying that tips were disallowed because the seller could lower the price of the marijuana, receive a tip and keep that without paying the LCB the tax due on the full price. The interesting fact in most cases is that employees keep the tips, the sellers (the owners) do not. Tips do not change the tax situation for marijuana store owners.
It was also discussed that no services could be sold in a marijuana shop and that receiving tips makes helping customers and patients a paid service. I’m confused because even if they don’t get tips, what budtenders do is a paid service. It is actually one of the most important and desired service in the marijuana industry because the customers don’t know how to buy the product yet.
Budtenders educate patients and customers. As a result, people don’t overdose or spend money on flowers, oils, edibles or topicals that don’t give them the desired effect. Can you imagine what it would be like for a cancer patient to go to a marijuana store, where a budtender was not allowed to serve him or her? How would they know where to start? How much damage would occur if they didn’t have the resources to reduce their suffering. Our stores carry almost 200 separate items, and we expect our workers to be knowledgeable about them all in order to better service our patients and community .
Cannabinoids and terpenes are misunderstood. I am not aware of any other plant on earth like cannabis. It has been modified by humans and nature to help us with everything from chronic pain and seizures to improving our lives and allowing us to relax in an overwhelmingly powerful outside world. But it doesn’t do anyone any good if the correct mix of cannabinoids and terpenes or an appropriate dose isn’t recommended. People are happy to throw a dollar in a jar for a good recommendation, and no one is getting hurt. As a matter of fact, if you could receive a tip for giving an educated suggestion and you had the information, wouldn’t you do it?
Well, interestingly enough.......
These employees are hard working, young and older people with car payments and apartments, partners and kids. They have stood up to the hypocrisy of alcohol over cannabis, cigarettes over marijuana and prescription drugs over nature’s own remedies. Let's stand up for them and their rights! Allow tipping in 502 retail locations.
"The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) has received several inquiries asking about the practice of bud tender tip jars. In response, the LCB has reviewed their position and this bulletin is to clarify the policy on allowable tipping.
Tipping has not been an allowable practice in a licensed retail marijuana location. This position was adopted based on an interpretation of RCW 69.50.357, and indications that prices of products were being manipulated based on the size of a tip to avoid paying excise tax. However, changes in RCW 69.50.535 established in 2ESHB 2136 (Laws of 2015, 2d Spec. Sess., Ch. 4), modified the tax structure associated with marijuana sales, partially negating the concerns associated with prices being adjusted to avoid taxes. The legislation also prohibited sales of marijuana and marijuana products conditioned on the buyer’s purchase of a service or non-marijuana product. RCW 69.50.380. It placed restrictions on “bundled” transactions as well. RCW 69.50.570. Due to the statutory change, the Board has revisited the policy position, and its interpretation of RCW 69.50.357.
Effective immediately, customer tipping is now an allowable practice in licensed retail marijuana stores. However, tipping cannot be required or a condition of sale, nor can it be linked to the price of the product to avoid tax obligations. If a licensee allows tipping for their staff, licensees are reminded that there may be business or employee taxes associated with tips received."
Together, let's force the hand of the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board in the favor of worker's rights, the community and justice !!
The LCB recently responded to our question concerning whether or not our employees could receive tips, saying that tips were disallowed because the seller could lower the price of the marijuana, receive a tip and keep that without paying the LCB the tax due on the full price. The interesting fact in most cases is that employees keep the tips, the sellers (the owners) do not. Tips do not change the tax situation for marijuana store owners.
It was also discussed that no services could be sold in a marijuana shop and that receiving tips makes helping customers and patients a paid service. I’m confused because even if they don’t get tips, what budtenders do is a paid service. It is actually one of the most important and desired service in the marijuana industry because the customers don’t know how to buy the product yet.
Budtenders educate patients and customers. As a result, people don’t overdose or spend money on flowers, oils, edibles or topicals that don’t give them the desired effect. Can you imagine what it would be like for a cancer patient to go to a marijuana store, where a budtender was not allowed to serve him or her? How would they know where to start? How much damage would occur if they didn’t have the resources to reduce their suffering. Our stores carry almost 200 separate items, and we expect our workers to be knowledgeable about them all in order to better service our patients and community .
Cannabinoids and terpenes are misunderstood. I am not aware of any other plant on earth like cannabis. It has been modified by humans and nature to help us with everything from chronic pain and seizures to improving our lives and allowing us to relax in an overwhelmingly powerful outside world. But it doesn’t do anyone any good if the correct mix of cannabinoids and terpenes or an appropriate dose isn’t recommended. People are happy to throw a dollar in a jar for a good recommendation, and no one is getting hurt. As a matter of fact, if you could receive a tip for giving an educated suggestion and you had the information, wouldn’t you do it?
Well, interestingly enough.......
These employees are hard working, young and older people with car payments and apartments, partners and kids. They have stood up to the hypocrisy of alcohol over cannabis, cigarettes over marijuana and prescription drugs over nature’s own remedies. Let's stand up for them and their rights! Allow tipping in 502 retail locations.