No week is small in the legislative session, but holy smokes this one packed a bunch of excitement.  Today is the fiscal cut-off for house of origin and typically a hurdle where legislation dies simply due to lack of time on the calendar.  By and large, cannabis legislation continued to move and this may be the most populated with cannabis policy Rules Committees have ever been in either house.

We’d like to thank you again for your continued support where it really matters.  We had two bills pass out of fiscal committees with bipartisan support and that is no doubt a reflection of your influence.

The next cut-off is March 8th and passing the house of origin is as much a battle for being the signal through the noise more than anything else.  All bills are now mostly jockeying for attention and the opportunity for a vote.  It will be up to our bill sponsors to secure a spot on the floor calendar prior to March 8th.  To that end, we have been so grateful for excellent sponsors this session who have really advocated for and navigated our bills through difficult waters.  So, thank you Rep. Kloba, Rep. Wylie, Sen. Shewmake, and Sen. Keiser.  

If you’d like to follow along with cannabis legislation as it develops, you can view our Bill Tracker HERE.

2/18/23 Senate Ways and Means at 9:00a – Public Hearing

• SSB 5367 – Concerning the regulation of products containing THC.
  • Testimony begins at 1:19:07

2/20/23 House Finance at 8:00a – Public Hearing

• HB 1453 – Providing a tax exemption for medical cannabis patients
  • Testimony begins at 22:45

2/20/23 Senate Ways and Means at 9:00a – Public Hearing

• SSB 5546 – Establishing a Washington state cannabis commission
  • Testimony begins at 3:18:01
• SB 5377– Concerning cannabis license ownership
  • Testimony begins at 3:41:20

2/20/23 Senate Ways and Means at 9:00a – Executive Session

• SB 5376 – Allowing the sale of cannabis waste
  • Passed to Rules
  • Discussion and vote begins at 5:11:00
• SSB 5080 – Expanding and improving the social equity in cannabis program
  • 2nd substitute passed to Rules
  • Presentation to committee begins at 4:47:48
  • Discussion and vote begins at 5:09:00

2/21/23 House Finance at 8:00a – Executive Session

• HB 1453 – Providing a tax exemption for medical cannabis patients
  • Broad bipartisan full throated support. Passed to Rules
  • Discussion and vote begins at 3:02:03

2/22/23 Appropriations at 1:30p – Public Hearing

• HB 1614 – Concerning the home cultivation of cannabis
  • Testimony begins at 50:40

2/23/23 Senate Ways and Means at 9:00a – Executive Session

• SSB 5546 – Establishing a Washington state cannabis commission
  • Passed to Rules
  • Presentation to committee begins at 1:03:08
  • Discussion and vote begins at 1:43:06
• SB 5377– Concerning cannabis license ownership
  • Passed to Rules
  • Presentation to committee begins at 1:03:37
  • Discussion and vote begins at 1:43:58
• SSB 5367 – Concerning the regulation of products containing THC.
  • Passed to Rules
  • Presentation to committee begins at 1:04:00
  • Discussion and vote begins at 1:44:46

2/24/23 Appropriations at 9:00a – Executive Session

• HB 1614 – Concerning the home cultivation of cannabis
  • Removed from the agenda 

Cannabis Research Commission

• SSB 5546 – Establishing a Washington state cannabis commission
  • Passed out of Ways and means to Rules with some minority support.  The voice vote sounded unanimous, however the signed sheet showed some republicans with a no vote.
• HB 1581 – Establishing a Washington state cannabis commission
  • Waiting for the Senate version to come over to the House  

Homegrow

• HB 1614 – Concerning the home cultivation of cannabis
  • Unfortunately appropriations did what appropriations does and Homegrow is dead for this session.  We were surprised with a staff presentation that was rather inappropriate in our estimation.  You can follow the link above to see his deeply biased report.  We will continue to work on this legislation and strategize for more success next session.

Patient Excise Tax

• HB 1453 – Providing a tax exemption for medical cannabis patients
  • Passed out of Finance to Rules with full bipartisan support.  Deadline for House of Origin is March 8th.  

Arrest Protection

• HB 1563 – Concerning arrest protections for the medical use of cannabis
  • In the Rules Committee and needs to be pulled to the floor for a vote.  Deadline for House of Origin is March 8th.  
• SB 5608 – Concerning arrest protections for the medical use of cannabis
  • Waiting for the House version to come over to the Senate

Cannabis Waste

• SB 5376 – Allowing the sale of cannabis waste
  • Passed out of Ways and Means to Rules with full bipartisan support.  Deadline for House of Origin is March 8th.  

Interstate Commerce Trigger Bill

• SB 5069 – Allowing interstate cannabis agreements
  • On the calendar for a floor vote.  Needs to pass the House of Origin by March 8th.
• HB 1159 – Allowing interstate cannabis agreements
  • Referred to Rules and up for a second reading.  We are still expecting the Senate bill will be the vehicle.

Social Equity

• SSB 5080 – Expanding and improving the social equity in cannabis program
  • Passed to Rules.  Needs to pass the House of Origin by March 8th.
• HB 1790 – Expanding and improving the social equity in cannabis program
  • Waiting for the Senate version to come over to the House

We are now coming up on the cut-off for house of origin on March 8th and until then it will mostly be floor action.  We’ll be watching every day as we put pressure on legislators to bring our bills up for a floor vote.  We don’t often know what will be considered until the morning of and we will keep you in the loop on social media as floor action is published.