The House passed data dashboard legislation, action was deferred on two bills, and preliminary schedules for the final week before the first cutoff indicated many cannabis-related bills may be left behind.
Here are some observations of the Washington State Legislature (WA Legislature) for Thursday February 13th, the 32nd day of the 2025 regular session.
My top 5 takeaways:
- On Wednesday morning, the House took up and passed the WSLCB data dashboard legislation without additional changes, the first cannabis-related bill passed by a chamber this session.
- HB 1066 - WSLCB Data Dashboard
- Representative Kristine Reeves pre-filed a reprise of her 2023-24 legislation HB 2182 which was passed by the House but did not receive a policy committee hearing in the Senate. The identical bills directed the creation of particular data dashboards by the WSLCB across the range of regulated substances, calling out specific dataset sources.
- In the interim, the WSLCB Research Program undertook the development of public-facing data dashboards, presenting the first two on cannabis use and revenue on January 7th.
- See the bill report and fiscal note for more details.
- On Tuesday January 14th, Washington State House Consumer Protection and Business Committee (WA House CPB) members hosted a public hearing on the legislation which saw cannabis sector, public health, and prevention interests unified in support of more transparent reporting of data collected by the WSLCB and affiliated agencies.
- During the executive session on January 29th, Reeves introduced an amendment intended to avoid duplication of effort between agencies and preclude the collection of new data. The committee voted to adopt the amendment and recommended substitute language which lowered agency projected costs to zero. The bill was subsequently calendared on Wednesday February 5th.
- During the floor session on Wednesday, Prime sponsor Kristine Reeves and Minority Caucus Vice Chair Stephanie McClintock spoke in support of the bill.
- Washington State Republican Party (WA GOP) ChairJim Walsh took the opportunity to perform a contrary take, claiming the State has "many IT issues" which he felt deserved greater "attention," vaguely specifying "the courts' computer system."
- The revised language required, and $0 fiscal note projected no additional State resources would be expended implementing the bill. As well, existing IT staff at the tasked agencies had no association with “the courts,” leaving one to surmise that the only occupier of the State’s attention was Walsh.
- The legislation was passed by the House. Seven Republicans joined Walsh in voting against the bill: Representatives Hunter Abell (R-7), Jeremie Dufault (R-15), Andrew Engell (R-7), Deb Manjarrez (R-14), Matt Marshall (R-2), Joel McEntire (R-19), and Gloria Mendoza (R-14).
- Later that day, the bill was scheduled for introduction in the Senate on Thursday February 13th.
- Representative Kristine Reeves pre-filed a reprise of her 2023-24 legislation HB 2182 which was passed by the House but did not receive a policy committee hearing in the Senate. The identical bills directed the creation of particular data dashboards by the WSLCB across the range of regulated substances, calling out specific dataset sources.
- HB 1066 - WSLCB Data Dashboard
- At the beginning of the Washington State House Consumer Protection and Business Committee (WA House CPB) meeting on Wednesday, Chair Amy Walen announced all executive sessions, including two cannabis-related bills, had been deferred.
- At the beginning of the meeting, Walen noted, “we are deferring executive session today. So we will not be moving any of the bills listed for possible executive session, those are still being worked on” (audio < 1m, video - TVW).
- HB 1348 - Cannabis ESOPs
- Representative David Hackney had planned to carry legislation regarding employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) specific to the cannabis sector, clarifying legislation sought by the Washington CannaBusiness Association (WACA) after WSLCB staff withdrew the ESOPs rulemaking project in December. But due to an extended absence, Hackney’s roles in the legislature were reassigned on February 3rd.
- See the bill analysis and fiscal note for more details.
- During the public hearing on February 4th, supporters testified in support of the legislation which was framed as a more equitable business structure actively encouraged by the State within other sectors. Opponents spoke out against ESOPs, which were anticipated to only be affordable business structures for the largest entities in the cannabis sector as well as a means of skirting true party of interest residency requirements for out of state “trustees” of the ESOP.
- On Tuesday, amendment CLOD 309 was published by WA House CPB Chair Amy Walen which would address concerns about ways around the residency requirement.
- After the meeting on Wednesday, the legislation was rescheduled for an executive session on Friday February 21st - albeit the same day as the House of Origin Policy Committee Cutoff.
- Representative David Hackney had planned to carry legislation regarding employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) specific to the cannabis sector, clarifying legislation sought by the Washington CannaBusiness Association (WACA) after WSLCB staff withdrew the ESOPs rulemaking project in December. But due to an extended absence, Hackney’s roles in the legislature were reassigned on February 3rd.
- HB 1551 - Social Equity Program Evaluation
- Representative Kristine Reeves put forward legislation requiring the WSLCB and the Washington State Department of Commerce (WA Commerce) to create a report to the legislature on the first round of the social equity program for publication by December 2025, while also deferring a second round until at least July 2026.
- See the bill analysis for more details. At publication time, a fiscal note was not available.
- During the public hearing on February 4th, one advocate representing certain initial social equity program applicants testified in support of the bill. Several others testified against the legislation, highlighting concerns about pausing in-process first round applicants, and additional testimony emphasized ways to improve the bill.
- During the WSLCB Board Caucus on Tuesday February 11th, Director of Legislative Relations Marc Webster mentioned HB 1551, echoing the concern that the legislation as written would “pause” further progress by remaining first round applicants and confirmed “we’ll definitely want amendments there” (audio < 1m, video - TVW). Board Member Ollie Garrett asked if an overall pause had been Reeves’ intent, and Webster seemed to indicate Reeves had not been responsive to his inquiries (audio - 1m, video - TVW).
- Before the meeting started on Wednesday, no amendments on the legislation had been published.
- At publication time, the legislation had not been rescheduled for an executive session.
- Representative Kristine Reeves put forward legislation requiring the WSLCB and the Washington State Department of Commerce (WA Commerce) to create a report to the legislature on the first round of the social equity program for publication by December 2025, while also deferring a second round until at least July 2026.
- The preliminary schedules for the following week in the House and the Senate were published late on Wednesday indicating six cannabis-related or -adjacent bills were scheduled for advancement before the House of Origin Policy Committee Cutoff on Friday February 21st while six others may at least receive a hearing.
- Monday February 17th
- 10:30am: WA Senate LC - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]
- Public Hearing
- SB 5456 - Out of State Ownership
- Public Hearing
- 1:30pm: WA House CS - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]
- Executive Session
- HB 1276 - Organized Retail Theft Sentencing Enhancement
- Executive Session
- 10:30am: WA Senate LC - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]
- Tuesday February 18th
- 10:30am: WA House AGNR - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]
- Public Hearing
- HB 1941 - Cannabis Producer Cooperatives
- Public Hearing
- 10:30am: WA Senate LC - Committee Meeting
- Public Hearing
- SB 5201 - Psilocybin Services
- Public Hearing
- 10:30am: WA House AGNR - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]
- Wednesday February 19th
- 1:30pm: WA House CPB - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]
- Thursday February 20th
- 10:30am: WA Senate LAW - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]
- Executive Session
- SB 5290 - Pre-Hearing SUD Treatment
- Executive Session
- 10:30am: WA Senate LAW - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]
- Friday February 21st
- 8am: WA House CPB - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]
- 8am: WA Senate LC - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]
- House of Origin Policy Committee Cutoff
- Legislation must be heard, potentially amended, recommended, and a policy committee report read during a chamber floor session before the close of business Friday to traverse the first cutoff gateway of the 2025 regular session.
- There are exceptions. Legislation can be designated “necessary to implement budgets” (NTIB) by chamber leaders to exempt it from the regular rules of order, loosely interpreted to mean a bill has been projected to have a measurable fiscal impact.
- Legislation must be heard, potentially amended, recommended, and a policy committee report read during a chamber floor session before the close of business Friday to traverse the first cutoff gateway of the 2025 regular session.
- See the Cannabis Observer 2025-26 biennium landing screen for a complete list of cannabis-related and -adjacent legislation being tracked - and to discern the large number of bills which are at risk of being designated inactive.
- Monday February 17th
- After passage by the House, the WSLCB data dashboard bill was scheduled for introduction in the Senate on Thursday.
- HB 1066 - WSLCB Data Dashboard
- The legislation was planned for referral to the Washington State Senate Labor and Commerce Committee (WA Senate LC).
- The draft introduction reports in the House and the Senate for Thursday February 13th did not appear to include additional cannabis-related legislation, reflecting an overall continued decrease in introductions of new legislation ahead of the first cutoff.
- HB 1066 - WSLCB Data Dashboard
- No cannabis-related legislation was scheduled for activity on Thursday although two bills were available for calendaring in the House.
- At publication time, no cannabis-related policymaking events were scheduled.
- On Thursday, the House planned to convene a floor session at 10:30am [ TVW ] and the Senate planned to convene a pro forma floor session at 12:30pm [ TVW ].
- At publication time, no cannabis-related legislation was positioned for potential floor activity, but two bills were ready for calendaring in the Washington State House Rules Committee (WA House RUL):