Washington Legislators Renew Drive to Legalize Homegrown Marijuana After Years of Failed Attempts
A new bicameral proposal would allow adults to cultivate cannabis at home, ending a unique prohibition in a state where recreational marijuana is legal
Washington state lawmakers have introduced new legislation to legalize home cultivation of marijuana for recreational use, a change advocates say is long overdue in a state that has permitted adult cannabis sales since 2012 but still bans personal growing.
Senate Bill 6204, filed by Democratic state senators Rebecca Saldaña, Noel Frame and T’wina Nobles, would allow adults aged twenty-one and over to grow up to six cannabis plants on their property, with a household cap of fifteen plants regardless of the number of adults living there.
The measure sets standards to keep plants out of public view and prevent odour nuisances, and establishes civil infractions for violations of those rules.
In the House of Representatives, a companion bill, House Bill 2614, was introduced by Representative Shelley Kloba to mirror the Senate proposal.
It has been referred to the House Consumer Protection and Business Committee, reflecting a coordinated bicameral effort to address what supporters describe as a long-standing inconsistency in state law.
Under current Washington statutes, growing marijuana for personal non-medical use remains a Class C felony, despite the state’s voter-approved recreational market permitting legal purchase and possession.
The proposed legislation also includes provisions allowing property owners to prohibit cultivation on their premises and enabling probation and parole officers to restrict growing as a condition of supervised release.
Opponents have previously raised concerns about enforcement and the potential impact on regulated dispensary sales, while supporters argue that legal home cultivation aligns Washington with most other legal cannabis states and would end criminal penalties for a widely practised activity.
Past efforts to legalise home grows have stalled repeatedly in the Legislature despite public support, with similar bills dating back over a decade.
Lawmakers in favour of the proposals say the new bills reflect lessons from other states that have adopted home growing without significant public safety issues and emphasise the importance of consistent regulation for a legal adult-use market.
With both chambers now considering parallel measures, the initiative to change the state’s marijuana law could gain fresh momentum during the current legislative session.
Senate Bill 6204, filed by Democratic state senators Rebecca Saldaña, Noel Frame and T’wina Nobles, would allow adults aged twenty-one and over to grow up to six cannabis plants on their property, with a household cap of fifteen plants regardless of the number of adults living there.
The measure sets standards to keep plants out of public view and prevent odour nuisances, and establishes civil infractions for violations of those rules.
In the House of Representatives, a companion bill, House Bill 2614, was introduced by Representative Shelley Kloba to mirror the Senate proposal.
It has been referred to the House Consumer Protection and Business Committee, reflecting a coordinated bicameral effort to address what supporters describe as a long-standing inconsistency in state law.
Under current Washington statutes, growing marijuana for personal non-medical use remains a Class C felony, despite the state’s voter-approved recreational market permitting legal purchase and possession.
The proposed legislation also includes provisions allowing property owners to prohibit cultivation on their premises and enabling probation and parole officers to restrict growing as a condition of supervised release.
Opponents have previously raised concerns about enforcement and the potential impact on regulated dispensary sales, while supporters argue that legal home cultivation aligns Washington with most other legal cannabis states and would end criminal penalties for a widely practised activity.
Past efforts to legalise home grows have stalled repeatedly in the Legislature despite public support, with similar bills dating back over a decade.
Lawmakers in favour of the proposals say the new bills reflect lessons from other states that have adopted home growing without significant public safety issues and emphasise the importance of consistent regulation for a legal adult-use market.
With both chambers now considering parallel measures, the initiative to change the state’s marijuana law could gain fresh momentum during the current legislative session.
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