Washington is the only legalized state that does not allow personal cannabis home grows. Activists, however, hope to change that this legislative session with two companion bills recently introduced in the Washington state Senate and House of Representatives — SB 5155 and HB 1131 — both of which have bi-partisan support.
If passed, the bills would allow Washingtonians over 21 years old to grow up to six cannabis plants at home. It would still be illegal to sell the fruits of a homegrown harvest and landlords would have the right to ban home grows on their property.
John Kingsberry, an activist with Homegrow Washington, is optimistic.
“What is different this year is that the majority of legislators I have spoken with, even those who were reluctant to support it before, have told me they may not put their names on the bill, but they will vote for it. After the 2018 election, the landscape changed in Olympia. Many of the opponents in the past were voted out. This year, we have ten sponsors on the house bill and six on the senate bill. Not only are they a bi-partisan group, but come from diverse ideologies — that’s telling me this may be the year home grows pass in Washington.” — John Kingsberry of Homegrow Washington, in an interview
The Washington State Liquor Control Board proposed two possible home grow scenarios in late 2016. Those two paths to home grows both required some variation on a traceability system at home. The WSLCB solutions were widely rejected and a cleaner home grow bill died in committee during the 2017 session.
Currently, nine other U.S. states allow adults 21+ to cultivate cannabis in the privacy of their own homes.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article incorrectly referred to the House home grow bill as HB 1331.
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