Among 15 cannabis-related bills introduced, limited direct sales legislation was up for an initial public hearing in the Senate on Monday, the first cannabis bill to be considered in that chamber in 2025.
Here are some observations of the Washington State Legislature (WA Legislature) for Monday January 27th, the 15th day of the 2025 regular session.
My top 3 takeaways:
- On Friday, the Washington State Senate Transportation Committee (WA Senate TRAN) scheduled a work session and public hearing on the driving under the influence (DUI) bill for the upcoming week.
- Thursday January 30th
- 4pm: WA Senate TRAN - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]
- Work Session
- "Impaired driving impacts."
- On Tuesday January 21st, the initial public hearing on HB 1315, the House version of the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit and impaired driving bill, was preceded by a work session during which questions about cannabis impairment swerved over the divide.
- "Impaired driving impacts."
- Public Hearing
- SB 5067 - Alcohol BAC Limit and DUI
- WA Senate TRAN would be the second policy committee to consider the legislation in that chamber, testifying to the far reaching impacts and momentum of the bill.
- SB 5067 - Alcohol BAC Limit and DUI
- Work Session
- 4pm: WA Senate TRAN - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]
- Thursday January 30th
- No new cannabis-related legislation was introduced on Friday nor staged for introduction on Monday; among 15 bills already introduced, language to enable cannabis “agricultural workers” to unionize had been advanced the most quickly.
- At publication time, Cannabis Observer was tracking 15 directly cannabis-related bills, six cannabis-adjacent bills, and four budget bills. Refer to the 2025-26 legislative biennium screen for the complete list and to track their statuses.
- At publication time and among cannabis-related bills, HB 1141 (Cannabis Production Unions) had been advanced the farthest and fastest, awaiting calendaring or re-referral in the Washington State House Rules Committee (WA House RUL).
- After a contentious executive session in the Washington State House Labor and Workplace Standards Committee (WA House LAWS) on Wednesday January 22nd, we expected the legislation would be referred to the Washington State House Appropriations Committee (WA House APP) due to the fiscal note which projected new expenses greater than $200K per biennium.
- Instead, the bill was directed to the opaque and perhaps merely decorative House rules committee which was only convened publicly once during the entire 2024 regular session - House leadership preferring to control the calendaring of legislation from the floor.
- On Thursday January 23rd, a Senate companion to HB 1141 was introduced: SB 5468. Among the eight listed sponsors, five held formal positions of leadership in the Senate Democratic Caucus.
- Capital Press published an article on the HB 1141 executive session for their target audience of agricultural interests titled, “Washington bill on cannabis farmworkers sparks broader debate.”
- On Monday, the Washington State Senate Labor and Commerce Committee (WA Senate LC), the primary cannabis policy committee in the Senate, planned to host the first public hearing on a cannabis-related bill in that chamber during the 2025 regular session regarding limited direct to consumer farm gate sales.
- 10:30am: WA Senate LC - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]
- Public Hearing
- SB 5403 - Cannabis Direct Sales
- Introduced on Tuesday January 21st by Senator Rebecca Saldaña, Chair of WA Senate LC, the legislation would authorize cannabis producers to sell their own flower directly to consumers. Eligible products would be constrained to:
- “cannabis flower produced and processed by the licensee at the licensee's licensed location” sold in compliance with the retailer statute RCW 69.50.360
- Or: “cannabis flower produced within the licensed business entity” and likewise complying with retailer requirements
- Coverage of the bill by Marijuana Moment noted, “Sales would be taxed at the same 37 percent rate” and “Direct-to-consumer sales are already allowed in some jurisdictions, especially among small, so-called microbusinesses. And lawmakers in some states, like California and New York, have similarly moved to allow producers to sell…directly consumers.”
- Raven Co-Owner and Washington Sun and Craft Growers Association (WSCA) Board Member Micah Sherman “who worked with Saldaña and legislative staff to draft the new bill,” was interviewed for the article and acknowledged “that the bill will be amended to allow licensees to sell only up to 1,000 pounds of cannabis per year to consumers. That, he explained, is meant to limit the proposal’s impact on existing retailers and encourage craft growers to focus on premium products.”
- Introduced on Tuesday January 21st by Senator Rebecca Saldaña, Chair of WA Senate LC, the legislation would authorize cannabis producers to sell their own flower directly to consumers. Eligible products would be constrained to:
- SB 5403 - Cannabis Direct Sales
- Public Hearing
- Also on Monday, the House would convene a pro forma floor session at 9:55am, then caucus at 10:30am [ TVW ]. The Senate would convene a pro forma floor session and caucus at 12:30pm [ TVW ].
- 10:30am: WA Senate LC - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]