Washington State Senate Rules Committee
(WA Senate RULE)

Lawmakers rushed to recommend legislation ahead of the cutoff on Wednesday while amending budgets and preparing for fiscal committee work, but four cannabis-related bills would likely not be moved in time.

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.

Four cannabis-related bills were heard or advanced on Thursday whereas four others were more clearly withdrawn from consideration as committee schedules for the following week continued to fill out.

A bill from 2023 pertaining to uses of cannabis waste without THC was brought to the Senate floor and passed overwhelmingly following brief remarks from the sponsor.

Representatives passed the WSDA lab accreditation bill and senators positioned the cannabis commission legislation for action among six bills still at risk before the House of Origin Cutoff at 5pm.

As senators looked at approaches to reduce use of “high THC” cannabis—especially by young adults—they mandated WSLCB data collection and recommendations on THC-based taxation.

Three cannabis bills were passed by their chambers of origin, two were calendared, and hearings on two were scheduled as representatives recovering from a 15 hour work day prepared for another on Saturday.

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.

Legislators passed three cannabis bills out of their respective chambers on Tuesday, and two were positioned for potential floor activity in the Senate on Wednesday.

Halfway through the 60-day regular session and after the seeming demise of nine cannabis-related bills, legislators entered their chambers given one week to move legislation before the House of Origin Cutoff.