Three cannabis bills made it through the house of origin gateway in the final hours on Wednesday as legislators returned to policy committee work for the following three weeks.
Here are some observations of the Washington State Legislature (WA Legislature) for Thursday March 9th, the 60th day of the 2023 Regular Session.
My top 3 takeaways:
- On Wednesday March 8th, senators passed three cannabis bills before the house of origin cutoff: legislation on a cannabis commission, low dose beverages, and local control of retail signage.
- SB 5546 - "Establishing a Washington state cannabis commission."
- Senator Mark Schoesler’s striking amendment was accepted by the body and the legislation was passed 40-9. Senators Braun, Gildon, Hawkins, Holy, MacEwen, Muzzall, Rivers, Wagoner, and Lynda Wilson voted against passage, five of whom changed their position at the end of the roll call vote (video).
- SB 5340 - "Regarding limits on the sale and possession of retail cannabis products."
- The Senate passed the low dose cannabis beverage legislation without modification 47-1-1, with Senator Jesse Salomon registering his opposition to the measure and Senator Chris Gildon absent.
- SB 5363 - "Concerning cannabis retailer advertising."
- Legislation to shift authority to regulate retail signage to local control was unanimously passed by the Senate.
- All three bills were taken up by the Senate expeditiously in the final hours before the house of origin cutoff at 5pm, and would be referred to the House for consideration by representatives.
- SB 5546 - "Establishing a Washington state cannabis commission."
- On Thursday March 9th, legislators planned to shift back to policy committee work to consider bills from the opposite chamber - and those designated “necessary to implement budgets” (NTIB).
- At 8am PT, the Washington State House Regulated Substances and Gaming Committee (WA House RSG) planned to convene a work session to hear from Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) researchers and host a public hearing on the WSLCB request bill to authorize subpoena authority for cannabis investigations.
- Work Session
- Public Hearing
- SB 5405 - "Modifying the liquor and cannabis board's subpoena authority."
- Also at 8am PT, the Washington State Senate Law and Justice Committee (WA Senate LAW) planned to convene a public hearing on a bill to make technical changes including ‘cannabis’ terminology.
- Public Hearing
- HB 1066 - “Making technical corrections and removing obsolete language from the Revised Code of Washington pursuant to RCW 1.08.025.”
- Public Hearing
- At 9am PT, members of the Washington State Senate Labor and Commerce Committee (WA Senate LC) planned to host gubernatorial appointment confirmation hearings for all three Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) board members.
- At 4pm PT, members of the Washington State Senate Ways and Means Committee (WA Senate WM) planned to host a public hearing on the first cannabis bill designated NTIB during the session which would authorize substantial tax benefits for retailers implementing physical security improvements intended to help prevent retail robberies.
- Public Hearing
- SB 5259 - “Ensuring commerce and workplaces are safe from product theft.”
- The hearing would be on a proposed substitute by prime sponsor Senator Karen Keiser which would remove one of the most contentious sections of the bill while having no impact on the cannabis sector provisions.
- SB 5259 - “Ensuring commerce and workplaces are safe from product theft.”
- Public Hearing
- At 8am PT, the Washington State House Regulated Substances and Gaming Committee (WA House RSG) planned to convene a work session to hear from Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) researchers and host a public hearing on the WSLCB request bill to authorize subpoena authority for cannabis investigations.
- Late Wednesday, legislative staff published preliminary committee meeting schedules for the following week which indicated WSLCB request legislation was a top priority for legislators.
- On Monday at 1:30pm PT, the Washington State House Regulated Substances and Gaming Committee (WA House RSG) planned to hear the WSLCB THC bill, whose amenders suffered a Pyrrhic victory in the Senate, and potentially host an executive session on the agency subpoena authority bill.
- On Tuesday at 10:30am PT, the Washington State House Labor and Workplace Standards Committee (WA House LAWS) was scheduled to host a public hearing on legislation to proscribe pre-employment screening for cannabis use.
- Public Hearing
- SB 5123 - "Concerning the employment of individuals who lawfully consume cannabis.”
- Public Hearing
- Also on Tuesday at 4pm PT, WA House RSG was scheduled to hear the social equity bill - also originally WSLCB request legislation.
- Public Hearing
- SB 5080 - “Expanding and improving the social equity in cannabis program.”
- Public Hearing
- On Thursday at 8am PT, WA House RSG was scheduled to host an executive session on the WSLCB THC bill.
- Executive Session
- SB 5367 - “Concerning the regulation of products containing THC.”
- Executive Session
- At publication time, it was highly likely that additional cannabis bills would be added to the agendas of WA House RSG meetings as newly passed legislation by the Senate is introduced in the House. But the Washington State Senate Labor and Commerce Committee (WA Senate LC) appeared to be focused elsewhere during the upcoming week, having been the recipient of only two cannabis bills from the opposite chamber. Five cannabis bills were never moved by the Washington State House Rules Committee (WA House RUL) whereas senators only left SB 5377, concerning out-of-state ownership, unmoved.