Legislative Priorities

Provided education on the history and impact of the use of the word marijuana in statute and especially “marihuana”.

Stood in support with collaborative written testimony as well as prioritized support in The Cannabis Alliance Lobby Days Effort

Since the passage of Initiative 502 in 2012, the cannabis industry has played a vital role in the fiscal health of the State of Washington. Cannabis excise tax revenues are distributed to a variety of state agencies and programs, including the LCB, DOH, the UW, WSU, and the Health Care Authority. A significant amount of cannabis excise tax revenues also goes to support the state General Fund. Currently the State has earned more than $750 million dollars in excise taxes, with an additional $360 million in sales tax. We ask for your support in establishing sensible policies for the long-term health of this industry.

By fully recognizing the cultivation of cannabis as agriculture, we build in vital and necessary supports for growers. These supports can include:

• Help with developing pest management plans for safer growing methods and final products.
• Opportunities for farmers to get continuing education and support services traditionally available to other farmers which help to educate farmers on how to grow safe, affordable, high quality products for their consumers.
• Access to programs aimed at maintaining water quality, promoting soil conservation and more.

Why Homegrow?

Washington State Residents should be able to grow a few plants of something that our state allows to be sold like beer or wine. Our state law allows each adult to brew up to 200 gallons of beer or wine at home each year but growing even one cannabis plant is a felony unless authorized for medical purposes.

This is contrary to the spirit and intent of initiative 502, which reformed our state law and created a regulated system of licensed production, processing and sales of marijuana that has brought hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue to our state government, profits to those businesses, jobs to those who work in those businesses and economic benefit to the state and the communities where those businesses and workers spend their money.

Commissioned an economic study through the IMPACT Center at Washington State University contemplating the 2020 Contributions of the Washington Cannabis Sector.

Fostered broad media coverage of our effort to pass Homegrow with over 25 print, video, and digital articles like KIRO, The Seattle Times and The Everett Herald.

Lead a coalition of industry and citizen letter campaign in support of Homegrow yielding approximately 2500 letters delivered to the House Ways and Means Committee.

While it was a big disappointment that homegrow did not get past the appropriations committee, there was so much good news around moving the ball further down the field. We enjoyed a lot of good press this year. Articles like these in The Seattle Times, and The Everett Herald, as well as this Kiro7 report helped broaden the conversation. We were also able to present a compelling economic impact study commissioned by The Cannabis Alliance and underwritten by foundational member, Hawthorne. The study shows the tax revenue benefit of the cannabis industry in Washington State. It also finds continued annual growth to retail sales, in the worst case scenario, and a huge boon to the industry in the best case scenario.

However, My favorite story of homegrow was when we put out the call to action, holy moses, you responded big time!

We are still compiling numbers of folks who wrote into their representatives, but the some of the words legislative aids are using to describe the experience are: inundated, overwhelmed, and flooded. Thank you so much for your activation and participation in the process! We are looking forward to re-grouping in the interim to further hone our strategy on this necessary piece of legislation.

Homegrow Jazz Video Webinar Wednesday