A labor bill was unevenly received, modification of the cannabis excise tax seemed more likely without prohibitionist garnishment, and social equity would be introduced in the House.
Here are some observations of the Washington State Legislature (WA Legislature) for Tuesday February 7th, the 30th day of the 2023 Regular Session.
My top 4 takeaways:
- On Monday February 6th, members of the Washington State Senate Labor and Commerce Committee (WA Senate LC) heard a bill regarding worker protections in the event of license assumptions.
- SB 5662, “Creating the cannabis employee job retention act,” was introduced on Wednesday February 1st by Senator Rebecca Saldaña, Vice Chair of WA Senate LC.
- During the hearing, proponents of a 2022 Seattle law on cannabis worker retention policies backed legislation to expand the mandate across the state, but business associations warned against singling out one industry.
- See a recent Fisher Phillips article on the corresponding Seattle laws.
- To participate in rulemaking around the ordinances, contact the City of Seattle Office of Labor Standards regarding implementation of the law.
- Also on Monday, members of the Washington State House Regulated Substances and Gaming Committee (WA House RSG) recommended low-dose beverage legislation and hosted the first hearings regarding a cannabis commission and excise tax modification.
- HB 1249, “Regarding limits on the sale and possession of retail cannabis products,” was recommended out of committee without modification. The bill would likely be referred to the Washington State House Rules Committee (WA House RUL) for calendaring.
- HB 1581, “Establishing a Washington state cannabis commission,” resurrected familiar divisions within the sector. Opponents claimed to be unmovable until interstate commerce or federal legalization became realities.
- HB 1595, “Modifying the cannabis excise tax,” by Representative Kelly Chambers elicited cooperative testimony as compared to the taxation by tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) scheme envisioned by Representative Lauren Davis.
- The Davis bills to restrict cannabis concentrates had the support of some health officials and an anti-legalization group, but industry members and a consumer advocate tagged them “prohibition bill[s]."
- Whereas on the Chambers bill, industry representatives signaled a willingness to engage constructively towards utilizing the policy levers of taxation to disincentivize consumption of particular concentrated cannabis products.
- Representative Debra Entenman planned to introduce a late companion to the social equity bill on Tuesday February 7th.
- The bill text of HB 1790, “Expanding and improving the social equity in cannabis program,” appears to exactly match the first substitute for SB 5080, as amended and recommended by WA Senate LC members on January 31st.
- Also on Tuesday, WA House RSG members planned to host a public hearing on the WSLCB THC request bill.
- HB 1612, “Concerning the regulation of products containing THC,” was introduced on January 26th by Representative Shelley Kloba. The bill had garnered two co-sponsors on WA House RSG: Co-Chair Sharon Wylie and Representative Tina Orwall.
- The senate companion bill, SB 5367, was heard in WA Senate LC on January 30th and was generally well received, but many speakers disagreed with the allowable THC limits for hemp products sold outside the regulated cannabis market.