SB 5276 – “Authorizing hemp production in conformance with the agriculture improvement act of 2018.”
- See Cannabis Observer’s summaries of SB 5276's committee report cutoff, opposite house cutoff, and sine die cutoff.
- On Friday April 26th, Governor Jay Inslee signed the bill. It joins Chapter 158 of the 2019 Session Laws and became effective immediately. Read the Bill as Passed Legislature and the Final Bill Report.
- The signing ceremony’s official photos show that sponsoring Senator Doug Ericksen was not present, though Senator Bob Hasegawa, Representative Derek Stanford, Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) Policy Advisor Kelly McLain and other supporters did attend (video).
- On Monday April 29th, WSDA’s Industrial Hemp Research Pilot (IHRP) released a message describing next steps the agency was undertaking. The infusion of funding associated with the bill has enabled the IHRP to begin reviewing and approving new hemp licensees.