The Week Ahead
(April 5, 2021)

The Big Lebowski - Roach Clip - #WAleg

Legislators would take the week to debate, amend, and vote on legislation from the opposite chamber - but the list of active cannabis-related bills had grown shorter.

Here’s a look at cannabis-related policymaking events on the calendar in the week ahead.

Monday April 5th

On Monday at 10am PT, the Washington State Senate Ways and Means Committee (WA Senate WM) planned to convene.

  • [ Event Details ]
  • Public Hearing: SB 5476 - “Addressing the State v. Blake decision.”
  • This was one of only two committee meetings scheduled in advance during a week otherwise devoted to floor debate, and SB 5476 was notable for being granted a hearing in its house of origin so late this session.

Tuesday April 6th

On Tuesday at 10am PT, the weekly Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) Board Caucus was scheduled to recur.

Wednesday April 7th

On Wednesday at 1pm PT, the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) Hemp Program Webinar on exports and food safety was scheduled to occur.

  • [ Event Details ]
  • This is the fourth of four planned webinars on the WSDA hemp program. See information on the overview webinar hosted on March 17th; the pesticides and organics webinar hosted on March 24th; and the plant services webinar hosted on March 31st.

On Wednesday at 3pm PT, the WSLCB Cannabis Advisory Council (CAC) was scheduled to convene.

  • [ Event Details ]
  • In an email sent to CAC members on Wednesday March 31st, WSLCB Executive Assistant Dustin Dickson stated, “As you most likely know, David Postman was appointed to Chair the Liquor and Cannabis Board, effective March 15. As a part of his introduction and acclimation to the agency, we’ve set aside time for your Council to have a virtual “meet and greet” with him. Nothing formal, no agenda, just a chance to hear from the new Chair and share your organization’s priorities with him.”
  • The WSLCB Alcohol Advisory Council (AAC) was scheduled to convene on Monday April 5th at 2:30pm for the same purpose.

Thursday April 8th

At publication time, no cannabis-related events scheduled.

Friday April 9th

At publication time, no cannabis-related events scheduled.

Saturday April 10th

At publication time, no cannabis-related events scheduled.

Sunday April 11th

Sunday is the Opposite House Cutoff at the Washington State Legislature.

2021 Legislative Session

At the Washington State Legislature, the opposite house fiscal committee cutoff occurred on Friday April 2nd. Each chamber must read, potentially amend, and vote out bills from the opposite chamber by Sunday April 11th, the next cutoff date. At publication time, only HB 1443 had been calendared for floor activity - all other cannabis-related bills awaited a pull in their respective rule committees.

Cannabis-related Bills - Active (9)

  • HB 1094 - "Making 2021-2023 fiscal biennium operating appropriations."
    • Companion: SB 5092 (active)
      • The Senate version of this bill appears to have been selected as the vehicle for the next biennium operating budget. SB 5092 was struck, further amended, and passed by the Washington State House of Representatives (WA House) on Saturday April 3rd.
    • Last Step: executive session in WA House APP on March 29th
    • Next Step: calendaring by WA House RUL
  • HB 1105 - “Concerning arrest protections for the medical use of cannabis.”
    • Sponsors (12): Kloba, Simmons, Fitzgibbon, Dolan, Ortiz-Self, Goodman, Vick, Ormsby, Riccelli, Santos, Macri, Davis
    • Last Step: executive session in WA Senate LAW on Thursday March 18th
    • Next Step: calendaring by WA Senate RULE
  • HB 1210 - ‘Replacing the term "marijuana" with the term "cannabis" throughout the Revised Code of Washington.’
    • Sponsors (14): Morgan, Peterson, Kloba, J. Johnson, Ryu, Santos, Ortiz-Self, Ormsby, Simmons, Gregerson, Riccelli, Macri, Frame, Harris-Talley
    • Last Step: executive session in WA Senate LCTA on Wednesday March 24th
    • Next Step: calendaring by WA Senate RULE
  • HB 1443 - "Concerning social equity within the cannabis industry."
    • Sponsors (13): Morgan, Wicks, Simmons, Berry, J. Johnson, Ramel, Kloba, Ryu, Peterson, Ormsby, Ortiz-Self, Harris-Talley, Macri
    • Companion: SB 5388 (inactive)
    • Last Step: calendared by WA Senate RULE on Friday March 26th
    • Next Step: second reading in WA Senate
  • SB 5092 - "Making 2021-2023 fiscal biennium operating appropriations."
    • Companion: HB 1094 (active)
    • Previous Step: executive session in WA Senate WM on Monday March 29th
    • Previous Step: second and third reading in WA Senate on Thursday April 1st
    • Previous Step: pro forma first reading in WA House on Friday April 2nd
    • Last Step: second and third reading in WA House on Saturday April 3rd
    • Next Step: reconciliation in WA Senate, possibly a conference committee
  • SB 5327 - “Creating a confidential youth safety and well-being tip line.”
    • Sponsors (7): Brown, Frockt, Lovelett, Rivers, Short, Warnick, Wellman
    • Last Step: executive session in WA House CYF on Wednesday March 24th
    • Next Step: calendaring by WA House RUL
  • SB 5361 - “Concerning the resentencing of persons convicted of drug offenses.”
    • Sponsors (3): McCune, Warnick, J. Wilson
    • Previous Step: public hearing in WA House PS on Tuesday March 23rd
    • Last Step: executive session in WA House PS on Friday March 26th
    • Next Step: calendaring by WA House RUL
  • SB 5372 - "Concerning a hemp processor registration and a hemp extract certification."
    • Sponsors (6): Stanford, Warnick, Conway, Hasegawa, Saldaña, J. Wilson
    • Previous Step: executive session in WA House COG on Thursday March 25th
    • Previous Step: referred to WA House APP on Friday March 26th
    • Last Step: referred to WA House RUL on Sunday March 28th
      • In an unusual sequence, SB 5372 was pulled out of WA House APP---its House fiscal committee---prior to receiving a public hearing. A fiscal note was requested for this Senate bill after it reached the House showing anticipated biennial costs for WSDA and WSLCB. At publication time, it appeared no fiscal committee would consider this bill.
    • Next Step: calendaring by WA House RUL
  • SB 5476 - “Addressing the State v. Blake decision.”
    • Sponsors (11): Dhingra, Hasegawa, Hunt, Kuderer, Lovelett, Nguyen, Pedersen, Rivers, Robinson, Saldaña, Wellman
    • Last Step: pro forma first reading and referral to WA Senate WM on Wednesday March 24th
    • Next Step: public hearing in WA Senate WM on Monday April 5th

Cannabis-related Bills - Inactive (15)

  • HB 1019 - “Allowing residential marijuana agriculture.”
  • HB 1260 - “Concerning the development of the marijuana market.”
    • Last Step: pro forma first reading and referral to WA House COG on Monday January 18th
  • HB 1345 - “Concerning the regulation of products sold to adults age 21 and over.”
  • HB 1414 - “Aligning marijuana licensing decisions by the liquor and cannabis board with local zoning ordinances.”
  • HB 1463 - “Addressing serious mental health consequences of high-potency cannabis products by regulating the sale of cannabis concentrates.”
  • HB 1499 - “Providing behavioral health system responses to individuals with substance use disorder.”
  • PRESUMED INACTIVE SB 5004 - “Providing a tax exemption for medical marijuana patients.”
  • SB 5035 - “Concerning offender scoring of drug offenses.”
    • Last Step: pro forma first reading and referral to WA House PS on Saturday February 27th
  • SB 5129 - “Concerning the possession of vapor, vapor products, tobacco, and tobacco products by minors.”
  • SB 5266 - “Concerning the regulation of products sold to adults age 21 and over.”
  • SB 5365 - “Establishing a Washington state cannabis commission.”
  • SB 5388 - “Concerning social equity within the cannabis industry.”
    • Companion: HB 1443 (active)
    • Last Step: pro forma first reading and referral to WA Senate LCTA on Friday January 29th
  • SB 5468 - “Concerning knowing possession of a controlled substance.”
    • Last Step: pro forma first reading and referral to WA Senate LAW on Monday March 1st
  • SB 5471 - “Concerning knowing possession of a controlled substance.”
    • Last Step: pro forma first reading and referral to WA Senate LAW on Thursday March 4th
  • SB 5475 - “Concerning knowing possession of a controlled substance.”
    • Last Step: pro forma first reading and referral to WA Senate LAW on Monday March 22nd