Washington state gears up for a national Cannabis market
There's a reason you can't buy Oregon-grown cannabis in Spokane. It's called federal law.
But with the growing possibility that the regulators and politicians in the nation's capital will end the federal prohibition of cannabis, Pacific Northwest lawmakers are gearing up to allow producers to export cannabis across state lines.
Last week, Washington state lawmakers approved a bill allowing interstate cannabis commerce. The vote from the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee now moves Senate Bill 5069 to the powerful Rules Committee — the last stop before it goes to the full state Senate for a vote. A companion bill is set to be heard by the House Regulated Substances & Gaming Committee, which appears to have a good chance as it's sponsored by the committee's chair.
The Senate bill is sponsored by Sen. Ann Rivers, a Republican representing most of southwest Washington's Clark County. Sen. Jeff Holy, a Republican who represents areas due north and west of Spokane, is one of the bill's seven sponsors. If approved, it would give Gov. Jay Inslee the power to enter into agreements with other states where cannabis is legal, permitting imports and exports between state-licensed cannabis businesses.
The Senate committee chair, Sen. Karen Keiser, a Democrat from south Seattle, said "early action" on the legislation was important since it "seems to have pretty substantial support," according to reporting from Marijuana Moment, which covers developments and trends affecting cannabis.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown approved similar legislation in 2019. California also has similar legislation in place.
None of this state legislation matters, however, if the federal government does not lift its prohibition, which has been in place since 1937. But President Joe Biden seems keen on changing the feds' stance on cannabis. In October, he pardoned all prior federal offenses for simple possession of cannabis, a move impacting approximately 6,500 people, and he encouraged states to follow his lead.
Biden also initiated an administrative review of cannabis' status as a Schedule I substance, which puts it alongside heroin and LSD. The review will determine whether or not cannabis should remain on Schedule I or be moved to a less-regulated tier.
If that occurs, and the U.S. Justice Department issues an opinion allowing interstate commerce, the nation could see wider legalization, according to Marijuana Business Daily, which covers the cannabis business. When producers have access to wider markets, one state's oversupply would evaporate as other states with no cannabis infrastructure come online. In the end, it could greatly benefit Washington's cannabis companies. They'd need to quickly scale up if the state becomes an export market, which appears likely with its abundant supply of sun-grown cannabis.
