The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) aims to develop programs and services to help prevent illness and injury, promote healthy places to live and work, provide information to help people make good health decisions, and ensure Washington state is prepared for emergencies.
Washington State Department of Health
(DOH)
Public
Observations
The Week Ahead
(February 26, 2024)
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.
WA Legislature - Update
(February 23, 2024)
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.
WA Senate LC - Committee Meeting
(February 19, 2024) - Summary
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.
WA Legislature - Update
(February 20, 2024)
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.
WSLCB - Board Caucus
(February 13, 2024) - Summary
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.
WA Legislature - Update
(February 19, 2024)
Operating budget proposals began to take shape as policy committees considered legislation ahead of the Opposite House Policy Committee Cutoff on Wednesday February 21st.
WA House - Session
(February 9, 2024) - HB 2320 - Second and Third Reading
Most lawmakers agreed to pass legislation to address risks associated with use of “high THC” products, with some disagreement around how urgent and restrictive solutions should be.
WA Legislature - Update
(February 9, 2024)
At the close of a quiet day for cannabis-related legislation on Thursday, House leadership pulled three bills out of their rules committee onto the floor calendar for potential action on Friday.
WA House APP - Committee Meeting
(February 3, 2024) - HB 2320 - Public Hearing
A bill requiring development of training, mandatory signage, and medical interventions related to “high THC” cannabis was considered, and subsequently recommended, by a fiscal committee.
WA House APP - Committee Meeting
(February 1, 2024) - HB 2151 - Public Hearing
Concern about removal of WSLCB authority to destroy failed cannabis samples led members to restore a similar mandate before recommending a bill to assign lab accreditation to WSDA.