Washington State Senate Law and Justice Committee
(WA Senate LAW)

Representatives heard the WSLCB THC bill, a technical corrections bill was readied for the opposite house, and a senate floor session and rules meeting were scheduled for Wednesday.

While cannabis retail would remain cash heavy if SB 5927 were enacted, senators unanimously voted for a one year sentencing enhancement for first and second degree robberies.

By Tuesday evening, most bills would need to be voted out of their house of origin to continue, but three important—and contentious—cannabis-related bills remained unmoved.

A bill to grant all medical cannabis patients protection from arrest received almost entirely positive testimony, along with complaints about homegrowing and cannabis scheduling policy.

After a brutal week for cannabis-related legislation which saw more than half rendered inactive, legislators prepared to undertake key debates on synthesized cannabinoids, community reinvestment, and social equity.

With increasing incidents of cannabis retail robbery, legislation adding reporting requirements and sentencing enhancements was seen as helpful, but some argued it sidestepped bigger issues.

Policy committees rushed to recommend legislation ahead of the initial cutoff deadline on February 3rd, including bills on retail safety, cannabinoid regulation, and social equity.

The second policy committee hearing on legislation extending arrest protections to all authorized medical cannabis patients elicited similar testimony and substantial sign in support.

There’s a new Board Chair at WSLCB, policy committee public hearings on 5 bills plus a prevention work session in the Legislature, and a WSDA webinar on the hemp program.

3 cannabis-related bills could join 9 others already through Monday’s cutoff deadline, and WSLCB planned to open a rulemaking project to reconsider the criminal history point system.