A Washington State House committee failed to pass a bill allowing adults to grow cannabis at home before a deadline for the week. This means that marijuana-growing adults in Washington State will still face felony charges at least one more year.
HB 2194 has been ruled ineligible to be moved forward because it was not put to a vote by the House Appropriations Committee prior to the deadline of February 5, which is when bills must pass fiscal panels. marijuana cultivation measures passed out of another House committee in February, but lawmakers from both sides of aisle were still wary.
Washington became the first U.S. state to legalize marijuana for adult use in 2012, after passing a ballot measure. The growing of marijuana for personal consumption without a medical card is still a Class C crime, punishable by up to five years imprisonment and fines up to $10,000.
Since at least 2015, there have been legislative attempts to allow personal cultivation. However, each attempt has failed.
Shelley Kloba, the lead sponsor of this bill (D), did not respond immediately to a comment request.
Kloba said to his colleagues during the hearing of a committee last month that “this bill has been a long time in coming.” This is something many other states are doing, and now it’s time for us too.
If passed, HB 2194 allowed adults over 21 to grow four plants each, and no more than ten per household.
Rep. Kristine reeves, a Democrat from California, was one of the Democrats who spoke out against this proposal. She said that “there are a lot unanswered question in this bill with serious unintended consequence.”
Reeves argued that the bill did not consider how to dispose of discarded plant matter after marijuana had been harvested. She reacted with dismay when someone suggested that it could be thrown in a composting bin. “I’m not sure if this is helping your argument, thank you,” she said.
Reeves noted that, despite the claims of supporters that home cultivation would result in fewer criminal charges, it was not a guarantee that Blacks and Browns wouldn’t face discrimination from law enforcement.
She said, “There are many things that are legal, but don’t minimise Black interaction with the law enforcement.” “In fact, Black people have died because they waited in line at Taco Bell.” “Smoking a cigarette outside a grocery store has led to the deaths of Black people.”
Kloba, and other speakers who defended the bill, said that it is logical to assume that home marijuana cultivation would result in fewer interactions with law-enforcement, and therefore, criminal consequences would be reduced for Black and Brown people. They acknowledged, however, that despite the fact that cannabis arrests across the board have decreased since legalization of cannabis, there are still racial disparities.
Republicans raised concerns about illegal cannabis sales and minors’ access to marijuana. Rep. Greg Cheney, (R), asked supporters for “a price estimation of what one plant would cost on the open markets…if you sold it.”
Don Skakie is the founder of Homegrow Washington. The group has been advocating for the expansion of state law to include provisions on home cultivation.
The majority of speakers at the public comment session last month supported this change. The majority of people, including longtime activists, members of the industry and concerned citizens, said that it would help consumers and hobbyists better understand the plant. It would also ensure specific products could be grown without pesticides, and allow them to access the botanical form.
Others cited evidence that Washington marijuana products contained banned pesticides. They said the problem has only worsened in recent years.
Pete Holmes, former Democratic City Attorney of Seattle and leader in municipal reforms around marijuana possession, spoke at the public comment session last month. He later supported the ballot drive for statewide legalization.
Holmes stated, “I would like to stress that as the first country in the world to face prohibition, you have a lot unknowns. As a primary sponsor for I-502 in 2011, I am able to tell you that home grows were a challenge. The initial 502 did not include it because we wanted to better understand the viability and taxes of a newly-legalized cannabis industry.
He continued: “It is now clear that Washington consumers have the right to grow their own marijuana for personal use, just as many states who legalized cannabis in the last decade did after Washington.”
The law enforcement community, which had opposed the proposal for years, now has a neutral position on the measure. At a hearing held last month, a representative of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs stated that the group had no formal position regarding the bill.
Separately this week, members of House Appropriations Committee approved a measure by Rep. Lauren Davis(D) which originally was intended to limit the THC potency for retail marijuana products. It would, in its current form however, require cannabis retailers warn about the potential health risks associated with high-THC cannabis products, and state that lawmakers plan to “consider raising the minimum legal age for sale of high THC marijuana products to 25 years of age.”
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A new cannabis bill recently introduced in Washington would undo the protections recently implemented for job applicants using marijuana. This would also remove the anti-discrimination provisions for those seeking employment in the drug treatment sector.
Legislators have also introduced legislation that would create a legal framework to allow vets and first responders access to psychedelic assisted therapy. The measure would build upon a pilot program that was signed into law in last year.
The psychedelics bill comes at a time when grassroots efforts are underway in Washington to decriminalize the use of entheogens by prioritizing local enforcement over state laws. Organizers from six Washington cities have been working on reform. They also believe that this is a good way to gain support for a state-level policy change.
The state Department of Commerce released recommendations late last year on how $200 million could be spent in order to reduce racial and economic disparities created by the drug war . The state also approved 10 million in refunds for drug convictions that were vacated.
A New Study Reveals the Medical Benefits of Marijuana Compounds like Cannabinoids and Terpenes
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