Representatives heard the WSLCB THC bill, a technical corrections bill was readied for the opposite house, and a senate floor session and rules meeting were scheduled for Wednesday.
Here are some observations of the Washington State Legislature (WA Legislature) for Wednesday February 8th, the 31st day of the 2023 Regular Session.
My top 3 takeaways:
- On Tuesday February 7th, members of the Washington State House Regulated Substances and Gaming Committee (WA House RSG) heard a range of testimony from different stakeholders on a bill to redefine legal boundaries between the cannabis and hemp marketplaces.
- HB 1612, “Concerning the regulation of products containing THC,” was requested by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) and sponsored by WA House RSG Co-Chair Shelley Kloba.
- SB 5367, the companion bill, was heard in the Washington State Senate Labor and Commerce Committee (WA Senate LC) on January 30th and generally well received although many speakers disagreed on allowable tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) limits in hemp products.
- During the WSLCB Board Caucus on Tuesday February 7th, Director of Legislative Relations Marc Webster indicated that agency staff had submitted a technical amendment to SB 5367 expanding the scope of the THC definition to encompass more molecules which he expected would be incorporated into the bill “later in the week.” He mentioned other amendments “floating around” which would delineate hemp in food products and revise THC limits (audio - 2m, video - WSLCB)
- During the hearing on Tuesday, members heard from several different groups of stakeholders (testifying, not testifying).
- PRO: 29
- WSLCB and Washington State Department of Health (DOH) staff; prevention advocates
- CON: 23
- Hemp advocates, consumers
- OTHER: 5
- Cannabis industry representatives, testing lab representatives
- PRO: 29
- HB 1612, “Concerning the regulation of products containing THC,” was requested by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) and sponsored by WA House RSG Co-Chair Shelley Kloba.
- HB 1066, an omnibus technical corrections bill containing provisions to rename ‘marijuana’ statutory references to ‘cannabis’ was passed by the Washington State House of Representatives (WA House) and would be introduced to the Washington State Senate (WA Senate) on Wednesday February 8th.
- After being heard during the first week of session and recommended out of committee in the second, members of the Washington State House Rules Committee (WA House RUL) calendared the bill on February 3rd and it was brought up for its second and third readings on February 6th.
- After introduction on Wednesday, the bill was set to be referred to the Washington State Senate Law and Justice Committee (WA Senate LAW).
- HB 1066 earned the distinction of being the first cannabis-related bill to be passed by its house of origin during the 2023 regular session.
- Also on Wednesday, senators planned to host a floor session during which they could take up the interstate commerce trigger bill and members of the Washington State Senate Rules Committee (WA Senate RULE) could calendar two cannabis-related bills in the late afternoon.
- Senators planned to convene a floor session at 10:30am. SB 5069, “Allowing interstate cannabis agreements,” had been pulled to the Senate regular calendar and could be selected for its second and third reading on Wednesday. At publication time, there were no published floor amendments.
- WA Senate RULE members planned to meet at 4pm. SB 5123 (“Concerning the employment of individuals who lawfully consume cannabis”) and SB 5405 (“Modifying the liquor and cannabis board's subpoena authority”) had both been recommended by WA Senate LC members and could be pulled from the Senate Rules White Sheet to the floor calendar.
- The Washington State House Rules Committee (WA House RUL) was, as a rule, less forthcoming about meeting announcements and voluntary transparency. However, HB 1563 (“Concerning arrest protections for the medical use of cannabis”) could be pulled to the floor calendar when the representatives next meet.
- HB 1249, regarding low-dose beverages, had been recommended by WA House RSG members on Monday February 6th but, at publication time, was not yet available for WA House RUL members to consider.