Washington State Department of Health
(DOH)

The patient excise tax exemption bill was modified and passed by the Senate, joining two other bills awaiting concurrence in their chambers of origin as lawmaker attention turned to budgets before sine die.

The “high THC” legislation was expanded in scope before passage in the Senate and the cannabis waste bill was passed in the House ahead of the deadline on Friday which three cannabis bills still had to make.

The WSDA testing lab accreditation bill was passed and two more cannabis bills were calendared for floor activity as the House of Origin Cutoff loomed on Friday.

Interest in advancing inactive legislation via budget proviso had been activated, the “high THC” bill was positioned for floor activity in the Senate, and floor sessions would continue in the push to sine die.

Senators decided the “high THC” bill was similar enough to a companion to skip a public hearing; all testimony on the bill to exempt patients from cannabis excise taxes was supportive.

One cannabis bill was gathering signatures, another was ready for final passage, three were in rules awaiting calendaring, and three more were scheduled for execs before the Monday cutoff.

The first cannabis legislation of the session was passed; two bills in fiscal committees were heard and one was advanced regardless of not being heard; and the “potency tax” study was up for a financial review.

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.

A pattern of postponed or delayed rulemaking came into focus as staff once again offered revised timelines for projects and petitions going back to the summer of 2022.