SB 6204 Call for Support
Over the last two years, The Cannabis Alliance has worked closely with the Blake Refund Bureau, which has provided a clear and sobering lesson in what happens when outdated criminal statutes remain on the books too long. People lose jobs, housing, educational opportunities, and long-term stability. Families are harmed, and the state ultimately bears the financial and administrative cost of repairing that damage. Continuing to criminalize home cultivation perpetuates these same inequities, particularly because enforcement has not been applied evenly across communities.
Some have raised safety concerns, particularly in households with children. It is important to recognize that cannabis cultivation is not a casual or accidental activity. Growing cannabis is not like growing cucumbers; it is far closer to making pickles. It requires deliberate effort, a post growing process, and ongoing attention. Households that choose to cultivate are already making conscious decisions about storage, access, and responsibility. SB 6204 does not remove accountability. It simply eliminates felony-level penalties for personal, non-commercial conduct.
Beyond the moral and equity considerations, home cultivation can also support Washington’s regulated cannabis market at a time when market health and oversupply are front of mind for this committee. A 2020 Washington State University economic impact study found that allowing home cultivation would increase the overall market cap for regulated cannabis, rather than diminish it.
More recent economic analysis reinforces this conclusion. Independent research conducted by Whitney Economics presented to this committee last year shows that legal cannabis sales in Washington represent only about 51 to 53 percent of total demand, meaning nearly half of cannabis consumption continues to occur outside the regulated market . High taxes, limited access, and price sensitivity are identified as the primary drivers of this gap. Importantly, this research makes clear that addressing oversupply cannot rely on supply-side controls alone. Demand must also be increased.
Home cultivation supports this demand-side strategy. Much like homebrewing, home cultivation tends to create more informed, engaged consumers. These consumers purchase from licensed retailers more frequently, buy higher-quality products, and spend more per visit. Home cultivation does not replace the regulated market. It complements it by cultivating more experienced consumers and helping bring non-participating consumers closer to the regulated system.
This approach allows Washington to address oversupply without market expansion. SB 6204 does not create commercial opportunity, increase canopy, or add licenses. The legislature has already determined that even 10,000 square feet is not commercially viable, which is why Tier 1 canopy was expanded in prior years. This bill simply right-sizes penalties for personal, non-commercial conduct, while preserving strong enforcement tools against larger-scale or illicit activity.
Washington can do better than treating responsible adults like criminals for a few plants grown at home, particularly when those same adults can legally purchase cannabis at a licensed store. SB 6204 is long overdue, common-sense reform that aligns Washington with modern cannabis policy, supports market health, and reduces unnecessary harm.