Of five cannabis-related bills requiring movement before the next cutoff, two were scheduled for initial hearings while the WSLCB Board planned to take up rulemaking on three projects.
Here’s a look at cannabis-related policymaking events on the calendar in the week ahead.
Monday February 24th
See the WA Legislature Update for Monday February 24th for more details on the day’s events. Also on Monday, the House planned to convene a pro forma floor session at 9:55am [ TVW ] and the Senate planned to convene a pro forma floor session at 10:00am [ TVW ].
WA Senate WM - Committee Meeting
On Monday at 1:30pm PT, the Washington State Senate Ways and Means Committee (WA Senate WM) was scheduled to convene.
- [ Event Details ]
- Public Hearing
- SB 5206 - Cannabis Retailer Advertising
Tuesday February 25th
On Tuesday, the House planned to convene a pro forma floor session at 9:55am [ TVW ] and the Senate planned to convene a floor session at 10:00am [ TVW ].
WSLCB - Board Caucus
On Tuesday at 10am PT, the weekly Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) Board Caucus was scheduled to recur.
- [ Event Details ]
- Board members Ollie Garrett and Pete Holmes convened on Tuesday February 18th to hear updates on legislative affairs, the second week in a row that Chair Jim Vollendroff had been unable to attend.
- On Tuesday, the board was scheduled to receive a legislative update from Director of Legislative Relations Marc Webster and prepare for rulemaking on Wednesday.
WA House APP - Committee Meeting
On Tuesday at 1:30pm PT, the Washington State House Appropriations Committee (WA House APP) was scheduled to convene.
- [ Event Details ]
- Public Hearing
- HB 1449 - Cannabis Home Grow
- Representative Shelley Kloba introduced legislation to allow an adult to grow six cannabis plants (combined up to 15 per ‘housing unit’) while establishing parameters and penalties around the practice.
- For more details, see the bill analysis and comparatively low fiscal note compared to prior iterations of the legislation.
- During the public hearing on January 28th, the majority of testifiers supported having Washington follow the example of 21 out of 24 other states that had legalized adult use of cannabis while also safely allowing home growing of a limited number of plants. Four representatives of law enforcement, public health, and prevention groups testified in opposition to the legislation.
- Representative Kristine Reeves exhibited an unusual interest in the legislative concept for the third yearin a row and published three amendments on the legislation the evening before the executive session.
- On Friday, Cannabis Observer incorrectly claimed Reeves published all four amendments put forward. Assistant Ranking Minority Member Jeremie Dufault filed Amendment H-1320.1 to enable land owners and landlords to prohibit “the production of cannabis plants by a renter or lessee on the premises of a housing unit or upon or within the property under the terms of a rental agreement, lease, or other contract.”
- During the executive session on Friday, members adopted the three amendments put forward by Reeves. They were incorporated into a substitute bill which was recommended by the committee in a 9-6 vote along strictly partisan lines.
- Due to the fiscal note on the original bill and the additional requirements imposed by the amendments, the committee report recommended and the legislation was referred to the Washington State House Appropriations Committee (WA House APP). Late on Saturday night, legislative staff announced a fiscal committee hearing on the bill had been scheduled for Tuesday.
- Representative Shelley Kloba introduced legislation to allow an adult to grow six cannabis plants (combined up to 15 per ‘housing unit’) while establishing parameters and penalties around the practice.
- HB 1449 - Cannabis Home Grow
WA Senate TRAN - Committee Meeting
On Tuesday at 1:30pm PT, the Washington State Senate Transportation Committee (WA Senate TRAN) was scheduled to convene.
- [ Event Details ]
- Executive Session
- SB 5067 - Alcohol BAC Limit and DUI
- Senator John Lovick introduced legislation focused on lowering the BAC limit to 0.05, informing the public about the change, and a study by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) which would likely be inclusive of data on impaired driving more broadly.
- See the bill report and fiscal note for more details.
- WA Senate TRAN was the second standing committee to consider the legislation in that chamber.
- On Thursday January 30th before the hearing, members convened a work session to learn about "Impaired driving impacts" from experts and families who had lost loved ones to drunk drivers.
- As Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC) External Relations Director Mark McKechnie briefed members, he contextualized data about polysubstance impaired drivers by acknowledging that “certainly cannabis is one of the common ones but we also see anti-depressants, anti-anxiety drugs, pain medication, and others that interact with alcohol as well” (presentation).
- As WA Senate TRAN members consider both the policy and fiscal impact of transportation-related legislation, the body is exempt from the House of Origin Policy Committee Cutoff, but legislation originating in the chamber must be advanced by the House of Origin Fiscal Committee Cutoff.
- Senator John Lovick introduced legislation focused on lowering the BAC limit to 0.05, informing the public about the change, and a study by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) which would likely be inclusive of data on impaired driving more broadly.
- SB 5067 - Alcohol BAC Limit and DUI
Wednesday February 26th
On Wednesday, the House planned to convene a pro forma floor session at 9:55am [ TVW ] and the Senate planned to convene a floor session at 10:30am [ TVW ].
WSLCB - Board Meeting
On Wednesday at 10am PT, the bi-weekly WSLCB Board Meeting was scheduled to recur.
- [ Event Details ]
- Petition Recommendation
- Social Equity Business Financing [ Rulemaking Petition ]
- CR-102
- Lab Authority Transfer [ Rulemaking Project ]
- Public Hearing
- SB 5376 Implementation [ Rulemaking Project ]
- Minors on Wholesale Licensed Premises [ Rulemaking Project ]
WSLCB - Executive Management Team
On Wednesday at 1:30pm PT, the three-member Board and agency leadership were scheduled to convene their monthly WSLCB Executive Management Team (EMT) meeting.
- [ Event Details ]
- Normally hosted on the second Wednesday of each month, the EMT meeting in February was rescheduled to February 26th.
Thursday February 27th
At publication time, no cannabis-related policymaking events had been announced. On Thursday, the House planned to convene a pro forma floor session at 9:55am [ TVW ] and the Senate planned to convene a pro forma floor session at 10:00am [ TVW ].
Friday February 28th
On Friday, the House planned to convene a pro forma floor session at 9:55am [ TVW ] and the Senate planned to convene a floor session at 10:00am.
WA Pharmacy Commission - Legislative Review
On Friday at 12pm PT, the weekly Washington State Pharmacy Quality Assurance Commission (WA Pharmacy Commission) Legislative Review was scheduled to recur.
- [ Event Details ]
WA Legislature - House of Origin Fiscal Committee Cutoff
On Friday at close of business, the WA Legislature would achieve the second cutoff gateway.
- Legislation referred to fiscal committees must be heard, potentially amended, recommended, and a report read during a chamber floor session before the close of business Friday to continue beyond the second cutoff 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.
- See the Cannabis Observer 2025-26 biennium landing screen for a complete list of cannabis-related and -adjacent legislation being tracked.
- The next gateway, the House of Origin Cutoff, would occur on Wednesday March 12th at 5pm PT.