The Week Ahead
(January 17, 2022)

Cannabis Scale

Washington State House and Senate policy committees had full schedules for the second week of the short session as 21 cannabis-related bills vied for legislator attention - including four newly introduced.

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

Monday January 17th

WA House FIN - Committee Meeting

On Monday at 10am PT, the Washington State House Finance Committee (WA House FIN) was scheduled to convene.

Tuesday January 18th

WA House COG - Committee Meeting

On Tuesday at 8am PT, the Washington State House Commerce and Gaming Committee (WA House COG) was scheduled to convene.

  • [ Event Details ]
  • Public Hearing
    • HB 1859 - “Concerning quality standards for laboratories conducting cannabis analysis.”

WSLCB - Board Caucus

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

  • [ Event Details ]
  • In addition to a rulemaking update prior to Wednesday’s board meeting, WSLCB Director of Legislative Relations Chris Thompson was scheduled to provide an update. Thompson did not provide an update at the Wednesday January 12th Executive Management Team (EMT) meeting, the day prior to the first public hearing on the agency request legislation for cannabinoid regulation, HB 1668.

Wednesday January 19th

WSLCB - Board Meeting

On Wednesday at 10am PT, the bi-weekly WSLCB Board Meeting was scheduled to recur.

  • [ Event Details ]
  • At publication time, Cannabis Observer was not aware of any cannabis-related rulemaking scheduled to occur at Wednesday’s board meeting.

WA House CED - Committee Meeting

On Wednesday at 10am PT, the Washington State House Community and Economic Development Committee (WA House CED) was scheduled to convene.

  • [ Event Details ]
  • Public Hearing
    • HB 1827 - “Creating the community reinvestment account and community reinvestment program.”

WA Senate LCTA - Committee Meeting

On Wednesday at 10:30am PT, the Washington State Senate Labor, Commerce, and Tribal Affairs Committee (WA Senate LCTA) was scheduled to convene.

  • [ Event Details ]
  • Public Hearings
    • SB 5671 - “Modifying the composition of the Washington state liquor and cannabis board.”
    • SB 5517 - "Concerning employment of individuals who lawfully consume cannabis."
    • SB 5706 - “Creating the community reinvestment account and community reinvestment program.”
    • SB 5796 - “Restructuring cannabis revenue appropriations.”

Thursday January 20th

WA Senate LCTA - Committee Meeting

On Thursday at 8am PT, the WA Senate LCTA was scheduled to convene.

  • [ Event Details ]
  • Public Hearings
    • SB 5699 - “Concerning quality standards for laboratories conducting cannabis analysis.”
    • SB 5547 - “Expanding regulatory authority over cannabinoids that may be impairing and providing for enhanced product safety and consumer information disclosure about marijuana products.”
    • SB 5767 - “Regulating hemp-derived cannabinoids.”

WA House COG - Committee Meeting

On Thursday at 1:30pm PT, the WA House COG was scheduled to convene.

  • [ Event Details ]
  • Executive Session
    • HB 1710 - “Establishing a Washington state cannabis commission.”

Friday January 21st

WA House CED - Committee Meeting

On Friday at 8am PT, the WA House CED was scheduled to convene.

  • [ Event Details ]
  • Executive Session
    • HB 1827 - “Creating the community reinvestment account and community reinvestment program.”

WA House COG - Committee Meeting

On Friday at 10am PT, the WA House COG was scheduled to convene.

  • [ Event Details ]
  • Executive Session
    • HB 1668 - “Expanding regulatory authority over cannabinoids that may be impairing and providing for enhanced product safety and consumer information disclosure about marijuana products.”

WA Pharmacy Commission - Legislative Review

On Friday at 12pm PT, the weekly Washington State Pharmacy Quality Assurance Commission (WA Pharmacy Commission) Legislative Review was scheduled to recur.

  • [ Event Details ]
  • During the legislative session, WA Pharmacy Commission members and staff convene weekly to discuss analyses of bills within the scope of their authority and decide on actions to take in response.
  • On Friday January 14th, the commissioners met to discuss an initial list of bills including HB 1668, the WSLCB request bill regarding cannabinoid regulation. Staff analysis of the bill stated, “This would move jurisdiction over some identified substances from the Pharmacy Quality Assurance Commission (PQAC) to the Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB). These substances include forms of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) other than delta-9 THC, which has previously been placed in LCB’s jurisdiction.”

2022 WA Legislative Session

The short session of the 2021-22 biennium began on Monday January 10th, 2022. Inactive cannabis-related bills from the 2021 session were re-introduced in their house of origin and the House convened multiple public hearings during the first week of the short session.

Budget-Related Legislation - Active (2)

HB 1816 - “Making 2021-2023 fiscal biennium supplemental operating appropriations.”

  • [ Legislation ]
  • Sponsors (4): Timm Ormsby, Mia Gregorson, et al
  • Companion: SB 5693
  • Previous Step: public hearing in WA House APP (Jan 10)

SB 5693 - “Making 2021-2023 fiscal biennium supplemental operating appropriations.”

  • [ Legislation ]
  • Sponsors (3): Christine Rolfes, Linda Wilson, et al
  • Companion: HB 1816
  • Previous Step: public hearing in WA Senate WM (Jan 11)

Cannabis-Related Legislation - Active (21)

HB 1019 - “Allowing residential marijuana agriculture.”

HB 1105 - “Concerning arrest protections for the medical use of cannabis.”

  • [ Legislation ]
  • Sponsors (12): Shelley Kloba, et al
  • Previous Step: executive session in WA Senate LAW (Mar 18, 2021)
  • Last Step: returned to WA House RUL (Apr 25, 2021)
  • Next Step: calendaring in WA House

HB 1210 - “Replacing the term ‘marijuana’ with the term ‘cannabis’ throughout the Revised Code of Washington.”

  • [ Legislation ]
  • Sponsors (14): Melanie Morgan, et al
  • Previous Step: executive session in WA House COG (Jan 14)
  • Next Step: calendaring in WA House

HB 1414 - “Aligning marijuana licensing decisions by the liquor and cannabis board with local zoning ordinances.”

  • [ Legislation ]
  • Sponsors (2): Keith Goehner, Kelly Chambers
  • Previous Step: public hearing in WA House COG (Feb 2, 2021)
  • Next Step: executive session in WA House COG

HB 1463 - “Addressing serious mental health consequences of high-potency cannabis products by regulating the sale of cannabis concentrates.”

HB 1667 - “Concerning ownership of cannabis-related businesses.”

  • [ Legislation ]
  • Sponsors: Sharon Wylie
  • Previous Step: pro forma introduction and assignment to WA House COG (Jan 10)
  • Next Step: public hearing in WA House COG
  • This bill was brought forward by Lukas Hunter of Harmony Farms drawing from his direct experience as a WSLCB staffer and subsequent consultations with WSLCB staff to understand their concerns. The bill would establish a 10% ownership threshold to initiate more thorough WSLCB vetting. For investigation of out-of-state owners, the bill would provide WSLCB staff with discretion to assess additional fees. The bill as written attempts to minimally and directly enable out-of-state ownership.
  • Meanwhile, the out-of-state ownership lawsuit brought by Todd Brinkmeyer was resolved in Thurston County Superior Court in July, and taken up again in federal court in November. Both parties have committed to filing their respective motions for summary judgment by February 1st. Responses and replies will be finished by mid-March. We're likely to see oral arguments and a decision after that.

HB 1668 - “Expanding regulatory authority over cannabinoids that may be impairing and providing for enhanced product safety and consumer information disclosure about marijuana products.”

  • [ Legislation ]
  • Requested By: WSLCB
  • Sponsors (3): Shelley Kloba, Sharon Wylie, et al
  • Companion: SB 5547
  • Previous Step: public hearing in WA House COG (Jan 13)
  • Next Step: executive session in WA House COG (Jan 21)
  • One of two highly anticipated agency request bills from WSLCB, this bill would grant the board broad authority to regulate all “cannabinoids that may be impairing.” In crafting that authority, this 20-page bill would rewrite many fundamental definitions underpinning the Initiative 502 marketplace.

HB 1710 - “Establishing a Washington state cannabis commission.”

HB 1827 - “Creating the community reinvestment account and community reinvestment program.”

  • [ Legislation ]
  • Requested By: WA Governor
  • Sponsors (5): Melanie Morgan, et al
  • Companion: SB 5706
  • Next Step: public hearing in WA House CED (Jan 19)
  • Following Step: executive session in WA House CED (Jan 21)

HB 1855 - “Concerning a craft cannabis endorsement.”

  • [ Legislation ]
  • Sponsors (5): Emily Wicks, Laurie Dolan, et al
  • Previous Step: public hearing in WA House COG (Jan 14)
  • Next Step: executive session in WA House COG
  • An evolution of HB 1260

HB 1859 - “Concerning quality standards for laboratories conducting cannabis analysis.”

  • [ Legislation ]
  • Requested By: WSDA, WSLCB
  • Sponsors (4): Shelley Kloba, Kelly Chambers, et al
  • Companion: SB 5699
  • Previous Step: pro forma introduction and assignment to WA House COG (Jan 10)
  • Next Step: public hearing in WA House COG (Jan 18)

NEW: HB 1933 - “Authorizing smaller local governments with a scarcity of manufacturing and industrial lands to establish a tax on cannabis producers and processors.”

  • [ Legislation ]
  • Sponsors (3): Emily Wicks, Carolyn Eslick, et al
  • Previous Step: pro forma introduction and assignment to WA House COG (Jan 12)
  • This bill would authorize narrowly defined jurisdictions with populations under 50K to impose an excise tax on producer and/or processor sales of up to 1%.

NEW: HB 2022 - “Concerning social equity in the cannabis industry.”

  • [ Legislation ]
  • Sponsors (2): Emily Wicks, Jesse Johnson
  • Previous Step: pro forma introduction and assignment to WA House COG (Jan 17)
  • This bill expresses many recommendations of the Washington State Legislative Task Force on Social Equity in Cannabis (WA SECTF).

SB 5004 - “Providing a tax exemption for medical marijuana patients.”

  • [ Legislation ]
  • Sponsors (8): Karen Keiser, et al
  • Previous Step: returned to WA Senate RULE (Apr 25, 2021)
  • Previous Step: placed in WA Senate X-File (Jan 10)
  • Previous Step: returned to WA Senate RULE (Jan 11)
  • Previous Step: pulled to WA Senate by Annette Cleveland (Jan 14)
  • Next Step: third reading in WA Senate (calendar)

SB 5517 - “Concerning employment of individuals who lawfully consume cannabis.”

  • [ Legislation ]
  • Sponsors (10): Karen Keiser, Rebecca Saldaña, et al
  • Previous Step: pro forma introduction and assignment to WA Senate LCTA (Jan 10)
  • Next Step: public hearing in WA Senate LCTA (Jan 19)
  • With some exceptions, this bill would make it unlawful to refuse to hire or fire an employee should the results of a drug screening test indicate the presence of cannabis.

SB 5547 - “Expanding regulatory authority over cannabinoids that may be impairing and providing for enhanced product safety and consumer information disclosure about marijuana products.”

  • [ Legislation ]
  • Requested By: WSLCB
  • Sponsors (6): Karen Keiser, Mark Schoesler, et al
  • Companion: HB 1668
  • Previous Step: pro forma introduction and assignment to WA Senate LCTA (Jan 10)
  • Next Step: public hearing in WA Senate LCTA (Jan 20)

SB 5671 - “Modifying the composition of the Washington state liquor and cannabis board.”

  • [ Legislation ]
  • Sponsors (5): Derek Stanford, Ann Rivers, et al
  • Previous Step: pro forma introduction and assignment to WA Senate LCTA (Jan 10)
  • Next Step: public hearing in WA Senate LCTA (Jan 19)
  • WSLCB board members publicly discussed this bill on December 14th, which Chair Postman noted sought to change “the board of the LCB, and rather than just the three of us, would expand it” to a total of five board members and “four legislators as ex officio members.” WSLCB board members asserted the Washington CannaBusiness Association was behind the bill.

SB 5699 - “Concerning quality standards for laboratories conducting cannabis analysis.”

  • [ Legislation ]
  • Requested By: WSDA, WSLCB
  • Sponsors (2): Steve Conway, Derek Stanford
  • Companion: HB 1859
  • Previous Step: pro forma introduction and assignment to WA Senate LCTA (Jan 10)
  • Next Step: public hearing in WA Senate LCTA (Jan 20)

SB 5706 - “Creating the community reinvestment account and community reinvestment program.”

  • [ Legislation ]
  • Requested By: WA Governor
  • Sponsors (6): Rebecca Saldaña, et al
  • Companion: HB 1827
  • Previous Step: pro forma introduction and assignment to WA Senate LCTA (Jan 10)
  • Next Step: public hearing in WA Senate LCTA (Jan 19)

NEW: SB 5767 - “Regulating hemp-derived cannabinoids.”

  • [ Legislation ]
  • Sponsors (3): Derek Stanford, Ann Rivers, Bob Hasegawa
  • Previous Step: pro forma introduction and assignment to WA Senate LCTA (Jan 11)
  • Next Step: public hearing in WA Senate LCTA (Jan 20)

NEW: SB 5796 - “Restructuring cannabis revenue appropriations.”

  • [ Legislation ]
  • Sponsors (5): Rebecca Saldaña, et al
  • Previous Step: pro forma introduction and assignment to WA Senate LCTA (Jan 11)
  • Next Step: public hearing in WA Senate LCTA (Jan 19)

Cannabis-Related Legislation - Inactive (3)

HB 1260 - “Concerning the development of the marijuana market.”

  • [ Legislation ]
  • Sponsors (11): Emily Wicks, et al
  • Last Step: pro forma first reading and referral to WA House COG (Jan 18, 2021)
  • Subsumed by HB 1855

SB 5035 - “Concerning offender scoring of drug offenses.”

  • [ Legislation ]
  • Sponsors (18): Manka Dhingra, et al
  • Previous Step: returned to WA Senate RULE (Apr 25, 2021)
  • Last Step: Placed in WA Senate X-file (Jan 10)

SB 5365 - “Establishing a Washington state cannabis commission.”