A measure “reassigning the accreditation of private cannabis testing laboratories from the department of ecology to the department of agriculture” has been approved by Washington’s full legislature.
House Bill 2151 was advanced by the House of Representatives on February 12 in a 96 to 1 vote. Today, the Senate passed the measure unanimously 49 to 0. The legislation will soon be sent to Governor Jay Inslee for consideration.
The proposed law “Reassigns agency authority and responsibility for accreditation of cannabis testing laboratories to the Department of Agriculture (WSDA), effective July 1, 2024, and authorizes expedited rulemaking.”
The WSDA must, in consultation with the Liquor and Cannabis Control Board (LCB), “adopt rules by July 1, 2024, to implement the reassignment of authority and responsibility pertaining to cannabis laboratory accreditation.” WSDA may use “expedited rulemaking to accomplish this task.”
Washington legalized recreational marijuana in 2012, putting the marijuana industry under the oversight of the then-named Liquor Control Board. Accreditation for testing labs was put under the authority of the Department of Ecology, where it has remained up until this point.
It’s unclear if Governor Inslee will sign the bill into law, allow it to become law without a signature, or veto it. However, the measure was passed with well more than the 2/3rds support required to override a veto.
For the full text of House Bill 2151, click here.
