Washington State House Appropriations Committee
(WA House APP)

During the last full week before the opposite house policy committee cutoff on Wednesday March 29th, legislators would consider all 14 cannabis-related bills that remained clearly active.

After renewing focus in policy committees, legislators announced plans to address the majority of active cannabis legislation the following week and begin work on the operating budget.

The board got a status update on legislation, discussed an impending social equity licensing window, and learned about a new format for staff guidance on rulemaking petitions.

After the house of origin fiscal committee cutoff, 18 cannabis bills remained active—one less than expected—as legislators prepared for floor debate over the next week and a half.

Three cannabis bills were moved on Thursday and home grow was poised for advance on Friday before the house of origin fiscal committee cutoff would leave 19 cannabis bills in play.

The first substantial cannabis legislation was passed by the Senate, home grow was heard in its fiscal committee, and four cannabis bills were positioned for executive sessions on Thursday.

Inclusion of civil infractions in a bill to allow home growing of cannabis carried costs for state and local governments, and a police association lobbyist explained her group’s new position of ‘other.’

The medical cannabis patient excise tax exemption bill made it through the fiscal committee gateway whereas home grow legislation was getting a late start, but was positioned to proceed.

After fiscal committee work and announcement of schedules for the remainder of the week before cutoff, only two of 22 active cannabis bills appeared at risk of being left behind.

With 22 of 34 cannabis-related bills through the initial house of origin policy committee gateway, the fiscal committees took over - and four bills appeared to have uncertain futures.