The Washington State Senate accepted a invoice on Wednesday to finally enable marijuana companies to interact in interstate commerce.
The measure, accepted in a vote of 40-8, would give the governor the authority to enter into agreements with different authorized states to allow imports and exports between licensed hashish firms.
“It’s no secret that Washington has been a frontrunner within the hashish trade,” Sen. Ann Rivers (R), the invoice’s sponsor, mentioned on the ground forward of the vote. “We have now taken large steps to guarantee that the product produced right here is labeled nicely and is examined and have the best high quality. We all know that legalization on the federal stage is coming. We’ve seen payments launched and it feels prefer it’s getting nearer.”
However the state’s trade “may very well be left within the mud if we’re out of city and unable to take motion” when federal legislation adjustments, she mentioned. “So we will entrust our governor to look out for this trade and guarantee that enterprise can move from our state to different states and again to us in a authorized approach, in a secure approach and in a approach that may be enforced.”
Below SB 5069, merchandise that come from out-of-state companies can be required to adjust to Washington laws, together with these associated to packaging and labeling.
Nonetheless, it will solely take impact underneath certainly one of two circumstances: 1) if there’s a federal legislation change “to permit for the interstate switch of hashish” between authorized companies, or 2) if the U.S. Division of Justice points an opinion “permitting or tolerating” marijuana commerce throughout state traces.
—
Marijuana Second is monitoring lots of of hashish, psychedelics and drug coverage payments in state legislatures and Congress this 12 months. Patreon supporters pledging no less than $25/month get entry to our interactive maps, charts and listening to calendar in order that they don’t miss any developments.
Study extra about our marijuana invoice tracker and turn into a supporter on Patreon to get entry.
—
If both of these circumstances are met, state regulators can be required to supply written discover of the federal coverage change, in addition to any state-level “statutory adjustments essential to authorize the sale, supply, and receipt of hashish” from out-of-state firms. Regulators would additionally have to undertake obligatory guidelines for cross-border commerce.
The invoice had cleared required Senate committee stops final month. In the meantime, companion laws on the Home facet has superior via committees in that chamber however has not been scheduled for ground motion. The physique will now obtain the Senate-passed invoice, nevertheless.
The Washington State laws represents the newest state-level try to organize for eventual interstate hashish commerce, whilst marijuana stays federally prohibited. California’s governor signed an identical measure final 12 months. Earlier than that, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) signed interstate marijuana commerce laws into legislation in 2019.
On the opposite facet of the nation, New Jersey’s Senate president filed an identical proposal final 12 months, but it surely has not but been enacted.
Again in Washington, the interstate commerce proposal is certainly one of a number of hashish and drug coverage reform that lawmakers are contemplating this 12 months.
On the Senate ground final week, lawmakers accepted a invoice, SB 5123, that will defend most job candidates within the state from being discriminated towards merely for utilizing marijuana. The laws notes that the majority drug assessments detect solely THC metabolites, which might stay in an individual’s system for weeks after utilizing hashish. The safety would apply solely to pre-employment drug assessments. Employees might nonetheless be fired for a constructive hashish take a look at that happens after they’re employed.
Advocates are disillusioned, nevertheless, {that a} invoice to legalize dwelling cultivation of marijuana has stalled but once more.
Moreover, laws to legalize psilocybin companies was gutted to take away its main provisions and remodeled right into a measure to easily examine the problem.
Lawmakers additionally face an impending deadline to change Washington’s legislation towards drug possession earlier than it expires on July 1. Following a state Supreme Court docket resolution in February 2021 that invalidated the state’s felony legislation towards drug possession, lawmakers enacted a short lived criminalization coverage that reclassified possession as a gross misdemeanor.
Photograph courtesy of Mike Latimer.
The submit Washington Senate Votes To Legalize Interstate Marijuana Commerce appeared first on Marijuana Second.