15 cannabis-related bills may be considered by Washington state legislature fiscal committees through Tuesday, determining which legislation continues forward.
Here’s a look at cannabis-related policymaking events on Cannabis Observer’s calendars in the week ahead.
Monday February 10th
On Monday at 1:30pm PT, the Washington State House Appropriations Committee (WA House APP) planned to meet to consider at least one cannabis-related bill.
- [ Event Details ]
- A public hearing was scheduled for HB 2870 - “Allowing additional marijuana retail licenses for social equity purposes,” agency request legislation from the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB). Following a very late introduction at the end of January, the language in HB 2870 was challenged during its public hearing in the Washington State House Commerce and Gaming Committee (WA House COG) on Monday February 3rd. Over the next several days, the bill was rewritten and the resulting proposed substitute was adopted by WA House COG and recommended out of committee on Thursday February 6th. To continue its progress, the bill must be heard and moved out of WA House APP before the House of Origin Fiscal Committee Cutoff on Tuesday.
Tuesday February 11th
On Tuesday at 10am PT, the weekly WSLCB Board Caucus was scheduled to recur.
- [ Event Details ]
- The agenda indicated the Board would hear staff recommendations on petitions for rulemaking received by the agency. At last week’s board caucus, Policy and Rules Coordinator Kathy Hoffman said she planned to present three petitions for the Board’s consideration.
Tuesday is the Washington State Legislature House of Origin Fiscal Committee Cutoff.
- The deadline, defined at the beginning of the legislative session in SCR 8411, is more precisely described on the cutoff calendar: “Last day to read in committee reports (pass bills out of committee and read them into the record on the floor) from House fiscal committees and Senate Ways & Means and Transportation committees in house of origin.”
- On Tuesday, we expect to see lengthy meetings of the WA House APP and Washington State Senate Ways and Means Committee (WA Senate WM) as legislators attempt to push bills through their intentional process bottleneck.
- At publication time, no cannabis-related bills had been assigned to Tuesday’s fiscal committee meeting agendas which were still in formation. The following 15 cannabis-related bills made it through this past Friday’s House of Origin Policy Committee Cutoff and remain active.
- HB 1131 - “Allowing residential marijuana agriculture.” Heard in the WA House COG last session, then recommended out of committee this year on January 21st, the home grow bill was heard in WA House APP on February 5th.
- HB 1974 - “Establishing the Washington cannabis commission.” Recommended out of the WA House COG last session, this bill was heard over the weeked on Saturday February 8th.
- HB 2359 / SB 6206 - “Creating a certificate of compliance for marijuana business premises that meet the statutory qualifications at the time of application.” The only pair of companion bills to make it through their respective policy committees, the “location compliance” bills sit in their rule committees awaiting assignment to a fiscal committee.
- HB 2375 - “Concerning tableting and encapsulating machines and controlled substance imitation materials.” This bill awaits assignment in the Washington State House Rules Committee (WA House RUL).
- HB 2726 - “Regarding marijuana-infused edible products.” This bill has been assigned to WA House APP where it awaits a public hearing.
- HB 2870 - “Allowing additional marijuana retail licenses for social equity purposes.” Following its public hearing in WA House APP on Monday, the bill would need to be recommended out of committee to continue forward.
- SB 5234 - “Modifying the excise tax for medical marijuana patients with recognition cards for products identified as beneficial for medical use.” Introduced and recommended last session, this bill was referred to WA Senate WM and could be heard.
- SB 5867 - “Resentencing of persons convicted of drug offenses.” Introduced last session, but heard, revised, and recommended this session; this bill sits in the Washington State Senate Rules Committee (WA Senate RULE).
- SB 6033 - “Concerning the safety and security of retail marijuana outlets.” Following recommendation from the Washington Senate Labor and Commerce Committee (WA Senate LBRC), this bill sits in WA Senate RULE.
- SB 6057 - “Concerning price differentials in the sale of marijuana.” The “wholesale discounts” bill was ushered through WA Senate LBRC without revision and sits in WA Senate RULE.
- SB 6254 - “Protecting public health and safety by enhancing the regulation of vapor products.” Governor Jay Inslee’s request legislation to overhaul oversight of non-THC vapor products in Washington state will almost certainly be heard by WA Senate WM.
- SB 6626 - “Concerning seizure and forfeiture reporting.” This bill would increase transparency into asset seizures and subsequent state proceeds, and may(?) limit the authority of the WSLCB to conduct those activities. It sits in WA Senate WM awaiting a public hearing.
- SB 6393 - “Concerning cannabis industry workplace standards.” Following a divided public hearing, the “labor bill” underwent some revisions before being recommended out of WA Senate LBRC. It sits in WA Senate WM.
- SB 6489 - “Concerning possession of vapor, vapor products, tobacco, and tobacco products by persons under the age of twenty-one.” This technical cleanup bill to implement last session’s Tobacco 21 legislation also repeals the authority of the WSLCB to detain persons under 21 or seize tobacco and vapor products in their possession. It sits in WA Senate RULE.
- Absent from this list of 15 cannabis-related bills is HB 2826 - “Clarifying the authority of the liquor and cannabis board to regulate marijuana vapor products.” WSLCB’s request legislation would more permanently encode the agency’s authority over THC vapor product hardware, ingredients, and flavors as well as necessitate licensee reporting of all vapor product ingredients to the Washington State Department of Health (DOH). This bill was heard and recommended out of WA House APP over the weekend on Saturday February 8th, and is currently the farthest along of all cannabis-related bills.
Wednesday February 12th
On Wednesday at 1:30pm PT, the three-member Board and agency leadership convene their weekly WSLCB Executive Management Team (EMT) meeting.
- [ Event Details ]
Thursday February 13th
On Thursday at 10am PT, the bi-weekly WSLCB Marijuana Traceability Project (MTP) Integrator Work Session was scheduled to recur.
- [ Event Details ]
- However, this event may be canceled as no agenda items had been submitted to the WSLCB as of Sunday early afternoon.
Friday February 14th
On Friday at 12pm PT, the Cannabis Observer Legislative Meetup was scheduled to recur.[ Event Details ]