Washington State Senate
(WA Senate)

Legislation to allow low THC beverages was passed by the Senate and calendared in the House, schedules for the following week were announced, and two cannabis bills were positioned for floor action.

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.

The fiscal committee deadline on Monday would usher a transition to floor sessions on Tuesday granting legislators one week to read, amend, debate, and pass legislation from their chambers.

The WSDA accreditation bill was advanced and two versions of the “high THC cannabis products” legislation were prepared for executive sessions on Monday ahead of the next legislative deadline.

After passage of the excise tax study bill and movement of three others to chamber floor calendars, fiscal committees made last minute changes to their agendas for Saturday inclusive of four cannabis bills.

A fiscal committee heard cannabis legislation Thursday, but calendars were becoming cramped ahead of the next legislative gateway on Monday - and several cannabis bills may be left out.

Legislators would don their quantitative hats through Monday to move legislation through fiscal committees - but only three cannabis-related bills had been scheduled for attention.

Having arrived at the first cutoff deadline of the 2024 regular session, several cannabis-related bills had made it through the gateway - but very few were well positioned for the next.

The winnowing of bills through the first cutoff on Wednesday was underway, and some legislation had been greatly revised to continue forward momentum.