House committee approves legalizing home cultivation for adults, but bill dies in second committee

Washington State became one of the first two states to legalize adult-use cannabis in November 2012, when voters approved I-502. However, unlike the vast majority of states that have legalized cannabis, Washington continues to criminalize adults for discreetly growing a few plants at home.

Legislators made an effort to change this in 2021. Rep. Shelley Kloba has introduced HB 1019, a bill that would have legalized home cultivation of up to six plants per adult (no more than 15 plants per housing unit). The bill passed the House Commerce and Gaming Committee in a 7-2 vote on Friday, January 22, but it was referred to the Appropriations Committee and did not receive a vote.

If you live in Washington, contact your legislators and urge them to support legalizing home cultivation in 2022!

State resists federal pressure, defends cannabis regulation program

In August 2017, then-U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions sent a series of letters to the governors of the first four legalization states, critical of their regulatory systems. Gov. Inslee was one such recipient, and like his peers in Oregon, Colorado, and Alaska, he was skeptical of the federal government’s dim assessment of state efforts. In response to the Department of Justice letter, Gov. Inslee called out the letter as based on outdated and incorrect information. Former Attorney General Sessions’ letter is available online here, along with Gov. Inslee’s response.

Officials have good reason to be supportive. Not only does it bring in revenue, Washington issued a report finding that neither the use of cannabis by those underage, nor cannabis-related abuse treatment admissions, increased after the state’s legalization of cannabis for adults. Quite simply, the sky hasn’t fallen in Washington, and there are no signs that it will. For a closer look at the law as it currently stands, be sure to check out the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board’s detailed FAQ, available here.

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