Bills allowing medical cannabis use on school grounds and changing the state’s cannabis testing rules have passed the Washington state Senate, according to an Associated Press report. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle described the school bill as one that would provide children enrolled in the state program relief from their chronic illnesses.
The measure, which passed 41-4, would allow parents to administer edible, low-THC, products in school – but the program could be suspended if the federal government were to threaten to pull funding over the issue. Under the law, school officials and nurses would not have to administer medical cannabis due to potential licensing and liability problems.
The testing proposal would move the responsibility of licensing and laboratory certifications to the Department of Ecology who would also issue drafts of new lab standards in 2020 and 2021. In 2018, the Ecology Department found gaps in testing accreditation rules for the cannabis industry.
Last year, the Agriculture Department found 43 percent of cannabis tested by the agency contained high levels of both allowed and banned pesticides. The new law, which passed the Senate 44-1, would require the Ecology Department to set up workgroups to study the issue of pesticides in cannabis consumer products.
Both bills had previously passed the House but must be sent back for final approval of amendments before moving to the governor.
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