Legislation that would legalize the personal cultivation of marijuana throughout Washington State has been passed by a key committee in the House of Representatives.
House Bill 1614 was passed today by the House Regulated Substances and Gaming Committee by a vote of 7 to 4.
The proposed law would allow those 21 and older to cultivate up to six marijuana plants with up to 15 allowed per residence. Currently Washington State is one of the only legal marijuana states to not allow for adults to cultivate it at home for personal use. This is despite the fact that Washington along with Colorado was the first to legalize marijuana back in 2012.
The law states that any marijuana plants would need to be labeled, grown out of public view and not “readily smelled” by the public.
Representative Shelley Kloba, the bill’s prime sponsor, says the measure “moves us toward an evolution where we can start looking at this plant as a plant.”
“It is legal to purchase products in the store, so it should also be legal to grow it at home with sensible sideboards,” said Kloba.
