Washington State Senate
(WA Senate)

Senators passed the cannabis waste bill and revived out-of-state ownership; new tax bills were coming; the preliminary schedule was published; and 3 hearings were up Thursday morning.

Representatives had too much to chew on from their Tuesday hearings, WSLCB leadership discussed legislative positions, and five bills could potentially be moved in Senate Rules.

By the end of Tuesday, Representatives tasked with oversight of the adult-use cannabis market were scheduled to have heard five bills and considered moving two in the first days of the week.

10 cannabis-related bills were scheduled for action during the second week of the 2024 session beginning on MLK Jr. Day, as regulators tracked implications in their scopes of authority.

Companion “high THC” legislation was readied for the Senate, five additional bills were scheduled for committee actions, and two bills were poised for movement on Monday.

Legislation on hemp extract as a food ingredient and a bill to shift authority from WSLCB to WSDA were ready for introduction, and substance use penalty language caught our attention.

Co-sponsors flocked to new legislation, WSLCB leadership discussed two active bills, a new high-THC bill was readied, and committee schedules for the following week were published.

Cannabis waste legislation was advanced, another hemp bill may be on the way, the first cannabis-related bills were heard, and two new bills were scheduled for introduction.

Lawmakers reintroduced 2023 legislation, nudging one cannabis bill forward, and planned to introduce expansive new hemp processor legislation before hearing three cannabis-related bills.

The published calendar for the first week of the 2024 regular session appeared relatively light on cannabis-related activity, but schedules can change quickly and regulatory activity continued.