The Washington State Senate Ways and Means Committee (WA Senate WM) considers the operating and capital budget bills and related legislation, including the authorization of state debt. The committee also deals with tax policy and other fiscal issues such as pension policy and compensation in addition to bills with operating budget fiscal impacts.
On short notice, two speakers offered supportive remarks on legislation allowing CBD as a cannabis additive before committee passage, sending the bill unchanged to the floor hours later.
Repercussions from a court ruling which struck down state drug possession laws came into focus for lawmakers through sharply divided testimony around a proposed legislative response.
Legislators would take the week to debate, amend, and vote on legislation from the opposite chamber - but the list of active cannabis-related bills had grown shorter.
As budget activity ramped up, fiscal committees undertook the last week for consideration of most policy legislation - and several cannabis-related bills remained unscheduled at the start.
Several cannabis bills portend some controversy on their way through the next cutoff on Friday, where a mysterious work session on “the future of the cannabis industry” awaited.
Senators amended legislation exempting registered medical cannabis patients and designated providers from the State excise tax, requiring a sunset date and a review of marketplace effects.
3 cannabis-related bills could join 9 others already through Monday’s cutoff deadline, and WSLCB planned to open a rulemaking project to reconsider the criminal history point system.
Of 19 bills closely tracked, five were out of committee and seven were scheduled for action this week - including new bills to limit cannabis concentrates and a drug decriminalization bill.
SB 5004, legislation providing an excise tax exemption for patients registered with the state, drew largely supportive testimony which contested the accuracy of the fiscal note.
Three new cannabis bills were introduced and four were scheduled for activity while the Washington Pharmacy Quality Assurance Commission considered regulation of Epidiolex.