WA Legislature - Update
(February 15, 2024)

WA Legislature - Update (February 15, 2024) - Takeaways

After hearing two cannabis bills on Wednesday, lawmakers had increasingly busy calendars on Thursday and through the following mid-week to meet the next policy committee deadline.

Here are some observations of the Washington State Legislature (WA Legislature) for Thursday February 15th, the 39th day of the 2024 regular session.

My top 3 takeaways:

  • On Wednesday, the Washington State House Regulated Substances and Gaming Committee (WA House RSG) heard testimony on two cannabis bills pertaining to cannabis waste and a “potency tax” study.
    • SB 5376 - “Allowing the sale of cannabis waste.”
      • Positions (testifying + not testifying - duplicates = total)
        • PRO: 4 + 4 - 0 = 8
        • CON: 0 + 1 - 0 = 1
        • OTHER: 0 + 0 - 0 = 0
      • Staff outlined the current cannabis waste handling process before lawmakers offered questions.  Co-Chair Shelley Kloba and others remained concerned that the waste material could retain value, but speakers from the cannabis sector largely disregarded the notion that businesses left viable cannabinoid content in their plant waste.  Testimony was entirely supportive of the move.
    • SB 6271 - “Modifying the cannabis excise tax to consider THC concentration.”
      • Positions (testifying + not testifying - duplicates = total)
        • PRO: 4 + 1 - 0 = 5
        • CON: 1 + 3 - 0 = 4
        • OTHER: 1 + 0 - 0 = 1
      • Lawmakers had questions and testimony was mostly supportive of requiring data collection and a study of a potential tax change. However, Harmony Farms Director of Compliance and Government Affairs Lukas Hunter testified as 'other' over concerns including effects on the value of flower and resulting consumer costs.  Jim MacRae opposed the measure, feeling the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) should be able to use saved sales data from the Cannabis Central Reporting System (CCRS) and prior traceability platforms without additional spending.  Kloba commented after several speakers to note that research on the relationship between "high THC" items and negative health outcomes remained at the level of correlation rather than causation, and offered U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stats about declining youth use.
  • Also on Wednesday, legislative staff released the preliminary committee meeting schedules for the following week showing loosely packed agendas subject to change ahead of the next policy committee deadline - but three cannabis bills were missing.
    • Monday February 19th
    • Tuesday February 20th
    • Wednesday February 21st
      • 3pm: WA Senate WM - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]
        • Executive Session
          • SB 5950 - “Making 2023-2025 fiscal biennium supplemental operating appropriations.”
      • 4pm: WA House APP - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]
        • Executive Session
          • HB 2104 - “Making 2023-2025 fiscal biennium supplemental operating appropriations.”
      • COB: WA Legislature - Opposite House Policy Committee Cutoff
    • Three bills were conspicuously absent from the preliminary committee calendar for the following week.
      • HB 2182 - “Creating a data dashboard to track use of regulated substances.”
      • HB 2255 - “Concerning inversion and diversion of cannabis.”
      • SB 5546 - “Establishing a Washington state cannabis commission.”
        • Passed by the Senate just before the House of Origin Cutoff on Tuesday February 13th, SB 5546 was scheduled for introduction in the House and referral to WA House RSG on Thursday.
  • On Thursday, policy committees would continue granting hearings and executive sessions to selected legislation from their peers ahead of the Opposite House Policy Committee Cutoff on Wednesday February 21st.
    • 8am: WA House CSJR - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]
    • 8am: WA House RSG - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]
      • Public Hearing
      • Executive Session
        • SB 5376 - “Allowing the sale of cannabis waste.”
    • 8am: WA Senate LC - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]
      • Executive Session
        • HB 1249 - "Regarding limits on the sale and possession of retail cannabis products."
          • At publication time, HB 1249 had technically not been heard by WA Senate LC members.  However, the committee did recommend the companion legislation SB 5340 in 2023 which remained identical at publication time and had been passed by the Senate as a whole.