Washington Cannabis News

Washington state law enforcement agencies are releasing responses including guidance and pushback to the state’s Supreme Court ruling last week that effectively decriminalized all drug possession.

Washington state’s Supreme Court essentially decriminalized drug possession yesterday after declaring the state’s felony drug possession law to be unconstitutional.

A bipartisan proposal being considered in Washington state would cap the potency of cannabis concentrates at 30% THC and raise the minimum age for purchasing extracts to 25 years old.

The Washington State Task Force on Social Equity in Cannabis has called for the state to prioritize race over location for equity applicants and to let funds reserved for equity applicants go to current licensees who would meet the program’s requirements.

According to the Leaflink 2020 Wholesale Cannabis Pricing Guide, wholesale flower prices increased 18% nationwide last year while edibles/ingestibles saw an 11% price decrease.

Washington state lawmakers will consider yet another proposal this year aimed at the legalization of cannabis home grows.

Washington state cannabis regulators have announced the formation of an 11-member Cannabis Compliance Consultant team that will work with licensees to help them achieve and maintain regulatory compliance.

Cannabis activists and lobbyists in Washington state are predicting a busy legislative session this year. Already, bills are planned to address the state’s lack of cannabis homegrows, undo the excise tax on medical cannabis, and more.

After its inception this year despite delays from the coronavirus, the Washington Social Equity in Cannabis Task Force has opted to center on anti-Black racism in the cannabis industry.

Praxis Labs in Washington state has had its license suspended amid allegations that the cannabis testing lab was inflating THC results. The lab has decried the allegations as false, calling them libel and a case of “agency overreach.”

Shawn Kemp’s Cannabis has walked back its claim in a disputed press release last month that the shop is Seattle’s first Black-owned cannabis dispensary after it was revealed that Kemp holds just a minor stake in the company.

A coordinated law enforcement raid in Washington state last week brought down a large cannabis smuggling operation based out of 27 homes in Skyway, Renton, Kent, Maple Valley, SeaTac, and other Puget Sound communities.

Jay-Z’s new cannabis brand Monogram has launched a billboard advertising campaign at the borders between states with disparate cannabis laws.

Former NBA star Shawn Kemp is set to open the first Black-owned cannabis dispensary in Seattle, Washington on October 30.

Washington state is one of the latest to address social equity in the cannabis industry, but business owners and potential social equity applicants say they have concerns about the state’s plan.

Washington state regulators have suspended the license of producer El Rey De La Kush for allegedly shipping cannabis products out-of-state.

King County, Washington is considering shifting its cannabis-derived funds from the Sheriff’s Office to instead pay for community programs and to help individuals vacate cannabis-related convictions.

The cannabis industry has been hit hard by wildfires raging up and down the West Coast.

Washington state cannabis regulators have warned the industry of an ongoing scam called the “fire extinguisher scam,” which targets licensed retailers.

Hempcrete has been used for decades as a sustainable option in construction materials — in the U.S., however, many hempcrete pioneers are stuck navigating outdated building codes and other local regulations.

The Seattle Hempfest in-person event is officially canceled this year in light of the coronavirus; instead, an online version of the event has been announced for October 10-11.

Killer Mike and El-P, the rappers known collectively as Run the Jewels, have partnered with cannabis companies Cookies and Lemonnade to provide their first branded cannabis strain, Ooh Lala.