List of New Senate Bills since the passage of I-502

colonuggs

colonuggs

Well-Known Member
Since Initiative 502 (I-502) passed in November 2012, Washington state has seen a slew of legislative cannabis bills hitting the House and the Senate. There are a few of these bills that, if passed, could single handedly determine the fate of both medical and recreational cannabis. Here’s a list of the relevant cannabis bills that have been dropped in the legislature through today:

  • HB 1789 – Applies a 25% excise tax to sales of useable cannabis and cannabis-infused products in medical cannabis dispensaries.


  • SJM 8000 – Reclassifies medical marijuana as a Schedule-II drug on a Federal level.


  • SB 5528 – Provides arrest protection for medical cannabis patients, further clarifies the definition of a plant, clarifies the legality of delivery from collective gardens, and empowers the Liquor Control Board to study implementation of standardized medical cannabis cards.


  • SB 5029 – Establishes a public bank in Washington. Not directly related to cannabis, but the bill would possibly allow for a branch of the bank to be devoted to cannabis businesses.


  • HB 1876 – Increases the law enforcement authority of LCB officers to include I-502 facilities and operations.


  • SB 5437 – Creates cannabis DUI for boaters.


  • SB 5010 – Denies I-502 protection to those on probation.


  • SB 5222 – Mandates that Washington State University study industrial hemp.


  • SB-5279 – Disallows purchases of medical cannabis with food stamps.


  • HB 1084 – Seeks to rectify Governor Gregoire’s vetoes that now make up RCW 69.51A (Washington’s medical cannabis laws).


  • HB 1482 – Employs a zero cannabis tolerance policy for commercial drivers.


  • SB 5584/HB 1051 – Disallows cannabis names for certain public works.

In our opinion, the three bills to watch are HB 1789, SB 5528, and SB 5029 (with HB 1876 being a close fourth—we all want to know what exactly these cannabis officers will be allowed to do regarding enforcement); these bills seek to change the face of the MMJ and recreational industries.
HB 1789 was sponsored by Representative Hurst, the King County legislator who originally sought to open I-502 for significant tweaking.

Should HB 1789 pass, medical cannabis dispensaries can expect to pay a 25% excise tax on all sales of cannabis, in addition to the 9.5% sales tax that’s currently mandated by the Department of Revenue. And while HB 1789 finally presents the public with a definition of a dispensary, there are no provisions in that bill that would give arrest protection to dispensary owners or their patron patients.

SB 5528, a bill sponsored by Senator Jeanne Kohl-Welles, sticks with Washington’s current collective garden model, but also gives patients immunity from arrest and prosecution and makes clear that delivery to and from collective gardens would be lawful. However, when reading between the lines, it appears that SB 5528, if successful, would allow the state to eventually develop a state patient registry through the Liquor Control Board (LCB) which, according to the bill, would be tasked with studying the feasibility of issuing such cards before implementation.

SB 5029 could be lucrative for MMJ and I-502 cannabis businesses. Access to banking has been nothing short of a total pain for the cannabis industry as a whole. Without access to banking, in addition to other cumbersome issues, it is nearly impossible to run payroll or pay your taxes when necessary. As a result, SB 5029 could be the saving grace of both the MMJ and I-502 industries. While the bill doesn’t directly relate to cannabis, it is quite obvious that a state-backed bank, with the right charters and insurance, could do business with the cannabis industry with less fear of Federal government intervention.

Regardless of which bill you’ve got your eye on, if you’re in support or opposition, be sure to call your legislative representative to give them your two cents..
 
mtgeezer

mtgeezer

Well-Known Member
HB 1789 - abusive and excessive taxation.
SB 8000 - good beginning but not enough.
SB 5528 - on target
SB 5029 - increases risk of federal banking violations and asset seizure.
HB 1786 - lingering question, who is LCB?
SB 5437 - will never be effective. Rivers and lakes are controlled by the feds and they will arrest you if you are anywhere on federal land including Native reservations, national forests and especially national parks. State laws are invalid there mif contrary to fed. mandate..
SB 5010 - no brainer.
SB 5222 - don't think that will fly very well. Educational funding from fed govt will block research.
SB 5279 - another no brainer. DUH! Pot is not food.
HB 1084 - MMJ without licensed dispensaries is akin to making condoms illegal during an AIDS epidemic.
HB 1482 - another case of DUH! commercial driver's licenses are under federal control because of drivers having multiple licenses from different states. All commercial licenses are federally registered and you MUST submit to drug testing at ANY time.
SB 5584/HB 1051 - should be ALL public works. We are entering a transition phase from cannabis being the bane of mankind's existence to enlightening the masses to the REALITY of medicating with cannabis and ALL of it's benefits, both personal and commercial. We need to be sensitive to the situation and quit running around like a pack of rabid fools lighting up and blowing smoke in anyone's face who disagrees JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN. There is a BUNCH of damage that has already been done, begin to heal the schism before it becomes the downfall of positive legislation.

With freedom and liberation come responsibility. Act like responsible adults instead of a pack of juvenile delinquents and show everyone we can be and are responsible, caring and concerned with the welfare of all. We deserve it, but we still must earn it.
 
mtgeezer

mtgeezer

Well-Known Member
Saw that on a full printout. Thanks though. I heard that people were asking for people who knew how to grow to help get things rolling for MMJ and legal stores. Any truth to that?
 
colonuggs

colonuggs

Well-Known Member
mtgeezer said:
Saw that on a full printout. Thanks though. I heard that people were asking for people who knew how to grow to help get things rolling for MMJ and legal stores. Any truth to that?
Click to expand...
Yes that was correct ....they advertised for anyone but hired someone out of state to head it....A corporation @ $292 a hour :) Fuck me.... $300 a hour and they want us to sell it for $6 a gram haha
Liquor Control Board Announces BOTEC Analyses Corporation as Marijuana Consultant

Think tank is apparent successful vendor to provide technical expertise as the Board implements I-502.
OLYMPIA – The Washington State Liquor Control Board (WSLCB) today announced that BOTEC Analysis Corporation is the apparent successful vendor to provide technical expertise as the agency implements Initiative 502. Apparent successful bidder is the official term until contract terms are finalized.
BOTEC Analysis Corporation is a Cambridge, MA based think tank specializing in crime and drug policy and will serve as the prime contractor. The company was a clear winner scoring highest in all four categories of consulting services the agency sought in its request for proposals (RFP): product and industry knowledge; product quality standards and testing; product usage and consumption validation; and product regulation.
“This team’s lead members and subcontractors are among the world’s leading experts on marijuana and drug policy,” said Board Chair Sharon Foster. “Their credentials speak for themselves.”
According to their bid, BOTEC has “a wealth of experts in formalized cultivation and testing, quality standards, statistical modeling, policy analyses, dynamics of illicit markets, law enforcement, drug control, drug dependency economics and rule-making. They’ve occupied prestige positions ranging from presidential advisors to a Nobel laureate.
“I would like to thank the team that produced, scored and communicated this RFP,” said agency administrative director Pat Kohler. “It was a multi-agency effort that was produced and completed much faster than a typical state RFP. It’s the kind of efficient and effective government that Gov. Inslee is expecting of state government.”
BOTEC Analysis, Inc. Team Leads
Project Leader: Dr Mark Kleiman, CEO BOTEC, Ph.D. Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School
Dr. Kleiman teaches public policy at UCLA. He is an expert in many aspects of criminal and drug policy, including probation and parole, incarceration, and marijuana policy. He is the co-author of the book Marijuana Legalization: What Everybody Needs to Know.
Project Manager: Steven Davenport, Coordinator BOTEC
Key Sub-Contractors

  1. Product and Industry Knowledge
    Michael Sautman, former CEO of Bedrocan International.
    Leading expert in producing standardized cannabis products on an industrial scale in a regulated environment. Has over 25 years of experience in natural product manufacturing.
  2. Product Quality Standards and Testing
    David Lampach, President, Steep Hill Lab.
    Mr. Lampach is an expert in applying technology and analytical instruments appropriate for analyzing cannabis samples. He is co-founder and president of Steep Hill Lab, the first and largest cannabis testing lab in the United States.
  3. Product Usage and Consumption Validation
    Dr. Beau Kilmer, Ph.D. in Public Policy, Harvard University
    Dr. Kilmer is a Senior Policy Researcher at the RAND Corporation. He is Co-Director of the RAND Drug Policy Research Center and a professor at Pardee RAND Graduate School.
  4. Product Regulation
    Lowry Heussler, JD, General Counsel BOTEC
    Ms. Heussler is on the Massachusetts Department of Labor and Workforce Development Board of Review and has extensive experience in administrative and agency law. She has co-authored books with Dr. Kleiman concerning drug policy. She was a research assistant on BOTEC’s Analysis of Cocaine and Heroin Market Structure and for Dr. Kleiman’s, Against Excess: Drug Policy for Results.
Compensation
In its bid, BOTEC Analysis Corporation listed its blended hourly rate as $292. The rate was competitive with other submitted bids.
Next Steps
There is a brief protest period where unsuccessful bidders can challenge. The WSLCB will move simultaneously to negotiate the contract.
Additional Information
Additional information -- including the bid from BOTEC Analysis, Inc., key team member biographies, a breakdown of the RFP submitted bids and other documents -- is available on the I-502 Implementation section of the WSLCB website at http://www.liq.wa.gov/marijuana/I-502.
The Washington State Liquor Control Board’s mission is to promote public safety by consistent and fair administration of liquor laws through education, voluntary compliance, responsible sales and preventing the misuse of alcohol and tobacco.
Contact:
Brian Smith, WSLCB Communications, 360-664-1774
Mikhail Carpenter, WSLCB Communications, 360-664-1621
Click to expand...
 
mtgeezer

mtgeezer

Well-Known Member
Not unusual for government decision making. They have some good people there. Eventually though if Washington is realistic then allowances and adjustments will be made if they want to successful. What I was talking about though was that people were wanted to show MMJ and home growers since as everybody knows cannabis is very difficult to grow.:? Or so the comment has been made. At the time, Washington was unwilling to get involved on that level despite having passed I-502 because of fear of running afoul of that other place named Washington.
 
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