This is an update on the bills being considered for cannabis in Washington state.
Rumor has it that politics stopped the attempt to allow homegrown cannabis in the state, potentially leaving WA as the only state that doesn’t allow it. It’s hard to discern why the reluctance. There’s always the moral objections to cannabis, some licensed growers might fear the competition from 6-plant grows in basements, and law enforcement complains they can’t enforce the law. Some lawmakers might be thinking of Colorado’s experience when they had a 99-plant limit for “homegrown”, which leads to supplying the unlicensed black market.
Personally, I don’t see the threat from amateur back-yard growers. The output can’t be sold, and won’t go anywhere but amongst friends and neighbors. Besides, the status quo might be the best approach: be discrete, share with friends, and don’t give the cops permission to search your premises.
One way or the other changes in the license ownership rules will be loosened a tad bit, but details are hard to predict right now. Anything would be big progress in Washington.
Cannabis testing protocols have passed the House and are in the Senate. WA’s current rules are quite rudimentary given current thinking, and this effort would be considered a “reform” measure, advancing the state to advanced techniques. That’s good, but no state has succeeded in completely implementing top-shelf rules yet. Keep in mind that no consumer product (except medical stuff) is subjected to such extensive testing as cannabis. And there cannot be any federal help in setting standards, which adds to the complexity. California is trying to implement their rules, but it’s still in progress. Interestingly, Arizona, which is totally medical, has no testing requirements at all. [Testing usually covers dirt, mold, insect parts, pesticides, fertilizers, and other things].
A bill which should pass sets up a state cannabis commission. These commissions (or boards) exist for almost all agriculture products in all states. The idea is to get a basis in law to collect a small fee allotted to growers to pursue common goals. The Washington State Apple Commission, for instance. Usually these organizations function as marketing or PR efforts, and distribute best-practice information. Cannabis growers want something else, though. Because of the federal law, Washington State University cannot assist cannabis growers, like they do for other farmers. All farmers benefit from their state’s ag-research universities, which in turn get funding from the feds. WSU can’t provide help or information to federally-illegal cannabis farmers. But, they can provide their services to a commission which doesn’t touch the plant. So a commission is a good move, albeit for goofy reasons.
And then there are a handful of bills I call “revenge” bills designed to reign in the Liquor and Cannabis Board and their aggressive enforcement policies. This issue has become severely political and there’s going to be a lot of fighting. Whether any of the bills will actually pass is unpredictable.
Those are the high points right now. There are only a few weeks left of the session; bills in progress but not passed or killed will reappear in the second half of the session in January.