Washington lawmakers have overwhelmingly approved legislation aimed at tightening and clarifying how the state regulates private cannabis testing laboratories, passing House Bill 1347 by a vote of 88 to 3 in the House of Representatives yesterday.

The proposal focuses on defining the respective roles of the Liquor and Cannabis Board and the Washington State Department of Agriculture when it comes to accrediting and overseeing independent, third-party cannabis testing labs used by licensed producers and processors.

Under current law, cannabis producers and processors are required to submit representative samples of their products to accredited third-party laboratories to verify compliance with state quality assurance and product standards. HB 1347 reinforces that these laboratories must meet accreditation requirements set by the Department of Agriculture and makes that accreditation the primary basis for their certification to conduct cannabis testing in Washington.

The measure specifies that the Liquor and Cannabis Board must accept Department of Agriculture accreditation as the sole basis for a laboratory’s initial certification and renewals, unless the lab has been found to violate requirements set by the board. This clarification is intended to reduce regulatory overlap and eliminate confusion about which agency has primary authority over laboratory standards.

The bill also reiterates that if a tested sample fails to meet state quality or safety standards, the entire lot from which it was taken must be destroyed, unless otherwise allowed by board rule. Producers and processors are required to submit testing and inspection results directly to the Liquor and Cannabis Board using a standardized form.

In addition, the legislation authorizes the Department of Agriculture to assess and collect annual fees from cannabis testing laboratories to cover the costs of operating the state’s accreditation and laboratory quality standards programs. These fees will support activities such as evaluating laboratory protocols, conducting on-site audits, overseeing proficiency testing, and ensuring labs can consistently produce accurate and reliable results. All collected fees will be deposited into the state’s dedicated cannabis account.

The bill further directs the Department of Agriculture and the state’s interagency coordination team to work cooperatively to reduce redundancies between agencies and ensure efficient administration of the testing oversight system.

If enacted into law, HB 1347 would solidify a clearer division of responsibility between agencies while strengthening the regulatory framework that underpins product safety testing across Washington’s legal cannabis market.