Washington State Department of Agriculture
(WSDA)

Lawmakers rushed to recommend legislation ahead of the cutoff on Wednesday while amending budgets and preparing for fiscal committee work, but four cannabis-related bills would likely not be moved in time.

Lawmakers heard bills on a tax exemption for registered medical patients and transferring lab accreditation, passing the former, then amended and recommended a THC bill without a public hearing.

After undertaking significant activity on cannabis-related bills on Monday, lawmakers lined up executive sessions on a few more bills before the final policy committee deadline on Wednesday.

Operating budget proposals began to take shape as policy committees considered legislation ahead of the Opposite House Policy Committee Cutoff on Wednesday February 21st.

Representatives passed the WSDA lab accreditation bill and senators positioned the cannabis commission legislation for action among six bills still at risk before the House of Origin Cutoff at 5pm.

Three cannabis bills were passed by their chambers of origin, two were calendared, and hearings on two were scheduled as representatives recovering from a 15 hour work day prepared for another on Saturday.

Concern about removal of WSLCB authority to destroy failed cannabis samples led members to restore a similar mandate before recommending a bill to assign lab accreditation to WSDA.

The WSDA accreditation bill was advanced and two versions of the “high THC cannabis products” legislation were prepared for executive sessions on Monday ahead of the next legislative deadline.

After passage of the excise tax study bill and movement of three others to chamber floor calendars, fiscal committees made last minute changes to their agendas for Saturday inclusive of four cannabis bills.

A fiscal committee heard cannabis legislation Thursday, but calendars were becoming cramped ahead of the next legislative gateway on Monday - and several cannabis bills may be left out.