Governor Jay Inslee is set to sign a package of marijuana bills into law.
Washington’s Legislature approved multiple marijuana-related bills this legislative session, sending them to Governor Inslee for consideration. Inslee has the option of signing them into law, allowing them to become law without a signature, or vetoing them.
According to an official with the Inslee Administration, although he is undecided on what action he will take for some of the marijuana-related bills passed by the legislature, his intent is to sign at least four of the bills into law in the coming days.
The four bills include:
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House Bill 1453
HB 1453 gives medical marijuana patients a permanent exemption to the state’s 37% marijuana excise tax, which remains the highest marijuana tax in the country.
Medical marijuana in the state was tax-free until 2014, when lawmakers approved a bill to meld the medical marijuana market with the recreational marijuana market.
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Senate Bill 5376
SB 5376 would allow licensed cannabis producers and processor “to sell specified solid waste generated during cannabis production or processing under certain conditions”. Under current last such waste must be disposed of.
Cannabis waste not sold in accordance with relevant laws “must be rendered unusable before leaving a licensed producer, processor, or laboratory.” The measure states that the Liquor and Cannabis Control Board “may adopt rules to implement the bill.”
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House Bill 2320
HB 2320 “Requires the Department of Health (DOH) to develop optional training for retail cannabis staff as well as a notice that cannabis retailers must conspicuously post at the point of sale for consumers, related to possible health risks and impacts of high-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) cannabis and available resources.”
The measure also “Provides Legislative intent to provide DOH funding to provide public health messaging and social media campaigns”, and it “Requires the University of Washington Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute to develop and implement guidance and health interventions for health care providers, certain patients, and for other uses, with reports and subject to funding.”
Initially the bill would have banned marijuana concentrates for those under 25 years old, but it was amended during the committee process.
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House Bill 1249 / Senate Bill 5340
Under current Washington law those 21 and older can possess up to 72 ounces of marijuana-infused products in liquid form, given it has no more than 100mg of THC per product and no more than 10mg THC per serving. HB 1249 and companion measure Senate Bill 5340 would make it so that a retailer “may sell more than 72 ounces of cannabis-infused product in liquid form if the product is packaged in individual units containing no more than four milligrams of THC per unit.”
The measure clarifies that “a person 21 years of age or older may legally possess the amounts above and may transfer half of such amounts to another person or persons 21 years of age or older if the transfer complies with other applicable requirements.”
