Washington State Lawmakers Consider Cannabis Home Grows

Washington state lawmakers are considering a proposal to allow cannabis home cultivation, KIRO 7 News reports. The measure (HB.1019) would allow adults 21-and-older to grow up to six plants per household, up to 15 per household.

In 2012, Washington joined Colorado in legalizing cannabis for adults, but the state did not allow for home grow. In all, 10 states that have passed legalization reforms allow for home cultivation.

During a January 15 legislative hearing on the measure, John Kingsbury of Home Grow Washington said the proposal is not “a bold experiment but rather a well-worn path.”

“What I often hear is conflation of large-scale illicit activity with what we are actually advocating for here, which is legalizing six-plant, noncommercial home gardens. … Crime hasn’t exploded in states that allow home growing and tax revenues have not suffered.” – Kingsbury during a Jan. 15 hearing, via Crosscut

During the hearing, the proposal received pushback from the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, the Washington Association for Substance Abuse Prevention, and the Prevent Coalition.

The measure prohibits home cultivators from possessing more than 16 ounces of cannabis, 7 grams of concentrates, and 72 ounces of “marijuana-infused products in liquid form,” the bill says. It also includes a new civil infraction for cultivation in public view or for grows that can be “readily smelled” by neighbors or a passerby, which could result in a $50 fine.

Under current state law, qualified medical cannabis patients are allowed to grow up to four plants. For nonpatients, home cultivation is still penalized as a class C felony, punishable by up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $10,000, or both.