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

Legislators moved four bills forward and heard two more, cannabis packaging changes may be delegated to WSLCB, and a substantial new labor bill was prepared for introduction.

The Governor shared his thoughts on the supplemental budget before signing it; the measure created two hemp task forces, a community reinvestment fund, and other cannabis-centric changes.

After rulemaking and legislative updates, Chair David Postman had a lot to say about committee changes to the last moving cannabinoid regulation and enforcement bill - none of it flattering.

Given two proposed substitutes on a bill to regulate cannabinoids, almost the entire committee voted for a more limited version to get some cannabinoid products off the shelves and study the issues.

A last-minute hearing on a repackaged bill to regulate synthesized cannabinoids revealed shared public health concerns but testimony otherwise remained just as sharply divided.

Staff explained the session was “coming to an end” and discussed active legislation—including a new cannabinoid regulation bill–as well as budget provisos which could affect WSLCB.

Four synthesized cannabinoid regulation bills had been introduced after cutoff, cannabis-related amendments were in the operating budget, and new QC rules were imminent.

The agency’s top lobbyist reviewed legislative activity, diving deeper into a new cannabinoid regulation bill and work to salvage components of unsuccessful social equity legislation.

As the timeline for legislation became more compressed, committees crammed bills for action - while the WSLCB cannabinoid regulation bill was granted a second chance to NTIB.

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.