I-502 Amendment Bill Announced Tomorrow
Representative Chris Hurst, D-Enumclaw, Chair of the House Government Oversight and Accountability Committee announced today that he will, tomorrow, lay out details of a bill that will hopefully make a few, broadly supported amendments to 2012’s I-502, recreational use of cannabis. Within two years of passage, amendments to ballot-adopted initiatives require a 2/3’s vote in both chambers.
Provisions?
Probable subjects for the bill include reducing the 1000 foot buffer zone from many public agencies. An elementary search on Google Earth reveals there are darn few 1000 foot circles that can be drawn in the Seattle City limits that don’t include a prohibited structure. The same is probably true in other dense urban areas of the state. Representative Hurst mentioned the trouble with the 1000-foot, one-size-fits-all during an NPR interview.
Indoor or Outdoor?
Another strong rumor includes a clarification or prohibition of outdoor cultivation. Comments from hours of public forums have produced mixed and strong suggestions for allowance of both indoor and outdoor growing. Security concerns and impacts on the enterprise of recreational use retailing may push Washington toward an all-indoor product source state. There is some indication that the Liquor Control Board, LCB, could handle this by rule, but would prefer the power of law behind the prohibition of outdoor growing. Sources claim that agency personnel are concerned that a number of eastern Washington businesses will be very disappointed if outdoor growing is prohibited and possibly upset the 2/3’s vote count. Other issues floating around the legislature include, the price of businesses licenses for producers, processors and retailers. Many feel the bar is too low at $250.
Homegrown?
One of the most controversial rumors of the proposed bill include an anticipated provision to allow users to grow their own product, which now is prohibited by the original I-502 language.
What Grows In Washington Stays In Washington
Other issues key to Washington State’s relationship with a federal government that is still deciding how to deal with it’s two renegade recreational use states, Washington and Colorado, is quantity and product tracking. Or how to make certain only product from these two states, ends up in these two states. Lawyers from both states agree that citizens may travel to the two recreational use states and legally partake. State residency is not an issue, yet. If taken on, this amendment must make sure instate cannabis will fetch a price high enough to support the strangling, maximum 75% tax, and that our try at being one of the “laboratories of democracy” will stay inside the laboratory. So will the bill help us make sure only Washington cannabis finds its way into our recreational use platform? Note: It is arguable that under Washington law, a producer (grower) can be a processor (packaging, cleaning etc.) and therefore, reduce the total I-502 tax to 50% before sales tax. The LCB will have to clairfy this in regulation, or it could be placed in the bill.
Hurst earlier told Cannabis Wire that unless the amendments are almost unanimously supported, they will not be welcome in the bill. A consensus at introduction of a bill does not a governor’s signature
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