Washington State Senate Ways and Means Committee
(WA Senate WM)

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.

As legislators made final preparations for the 2024 session starting on Monday, policy and budget bills had been pre-filed and committee schedules were being shaped.

Legislators and agency staff were preparing for the shorter 2024 legislative session where organized retail crime and patient concerns would figure amidst cannabis related policymaking.

The operating budget that reached Governor Jay Inslee featured more than a dozen state agencies which received cannabis revenue, or were budgeted for activities related to the plant.

The capital budget included $5M for soil cleanup added late in the process in order to help agricultural sectors—including cannabis licensees—in north central Washington.

A bill regulating products containing THC was signed, granting new authority and rulemaking mandates for WSLCB - though fewer hemp licensees may be another result of the law.

With broad effects on definitions, timelines, portability, and the number of cannabis licenses in the social equity program, the Governor called passage of SB 5080 “a really important deal.”

Social equity legislation and a technical bill with cannabis provisions were passed by the Legislature Thursday and senators called for a conference committee on the operating budget.

Delays at another agency were presented as cause for extending the social equity licensing application window before a short legislative update and a lengthy conversation about two rulemaking petitions.