USA - Washington

The Lynnwood City Council took an important step towards retail, WSLCB seemed committed to refining lab test terminology, and the Cannabis Alliance would convene their annual summit.

Cannabis policymaking fell off a precipice in the wake of the legislative session and WSLCB “board efficiencies,” but Lynnwood officials would persevere to open the city to retail.

Legislators passed the operating budget—somewhat narrowly in the House—and closed out the 2025 regular session having passed four cannabis-related bills and two relevant appointment confirmations.

Legislators prepared to pass the final operating budget, which contained a few surprises including provisos incorporating a social equity bill, as they wrapped up the 2025 regular session on Sunday.

In the home stretch, the conference committee on the operating budgets planned to release compromise language for consideration among the last bills receiving attention in both chambers.

The conferenced version of the operating budgets was scheduled for release on Saturday morning in time for chamber votes on Sunday in the final sprint towards adjournment sine die.

The cannabis retail advertising and financial interest bills were delivered to the Governor as legislators continued working their way towards the end of the regular session.

The board denied two rulemaking petitions, placing their concepts in a ‘parking lot’ for future consideration, before approving a supplemental CR-102 and adopting lab authority transfer rules.

The Governor endorsed cannabis production unionization legislation granting collective bargaining rights to plant-touching employees, the top priority bill for “the largest union in Washington State.”

Legislators began to position the operating budget towards completion, albeit while moving NTIB legislation in the background, as the clock wound down towards the end of the regular session.