The Cannabis Alliance Applauds the Introduction of HB 1449: Legalizing home cultivation of cannabis by persons who are 21 years of age or older

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Cannabis Alliance Applauds the Introduction of HB 1449: Legalizing home cultivation of cannabis by persons who are 21 years of age or older

Seattle, Washington – January 27, 2025 – The Cannabis Alliance proudly supports House Bill 1449 (HB 1449), legislation that would legalize the home cultivation of cannabis for adults aged 21 and older in Washington State. This bill represents a critical step toward consumer freedom, criminal justice reform, and aligning Washington’s cannabis policies with those of other legal states.


Why HB 1449 Matters
Currently, Washington remains one of the few legalized states that still prohibits personal cannabis cultivation for non-medical consumers. In contrast, 21 states and Washington, D.C. have already established homegrow rights, including Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington D.C. HB 1449 seeks to bring Washington in line with these states, ensuring equity, fairness, and consumer rights, and winding down the drug war, which were the original justification for cannabis legalization in Washington State.

HB 1449 proposes the following key provisions:

Possession limits: Adults 21 and older would be legally permitted to cultivate up to six cannabis plants per person, with a maximum of 15 plants per housing unit. Citizens would be allowed to keep the amounts of their personal harvests.

Reduced Penalties for excess plants: Possession of 11 to 15 plants would be classified as a civil infraction instead of a felony, reducing undue criminalization.

Odor and Visibility Regulations: To address public concerns, the bill mandates that homegrown plants remain out of ordinary public view and includes provisions for odor control, and would establish civil infractions for violations.

Sales of any sort without a license would continue to be disallowed, by law.

Clarified Enforcement Authority: The Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) would not be responsible for enforcing home cultivation regulations, reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens. Home growing would not fall under LCB’s authority to monitor commercial cultivation.

Protection Against Seizure and Forfeiture: Lawfully grown cannabis plants and related products would be shielded from asset seizure laws, preventing unwarranted government confiscation for those who are growing within the law.

Who Benefits from HB 1449?
Legalizing home cultivation would benefit medical patients by reducing excessive paperwork requirements, underserved communities and rural residents who may have limited access to dispensaries, and hobby growers who enjoy engaging in, and learning, cannabis cultivation. Moreover, HB 1449 is an essential step toward social equity in Washington’s cannabis industry. Data has consistently shown that communities of color, particularly Black and Latino individuals, are disproportionately arrested and charged for cannabis-related offenses, including cultivation violations. A review of Washington State arrest records between 2012 and 2019 reveals that Black residents were up to five times more likely than white residents to be arrested for cannabis-related offenses, despite similar usage rates. Legalizing homegrow would help reduce these disparities by eliminating one more avenue for law enforcement interactions that disproportionately impact marginalized communities. Additionally, it ensures that people who have been most affected by the war on drugs have an opportunity to benefit from cannabis legalization rather than continue to face punitive consequences.

Addressing Opposition and Challenges
While HB 1449 offers clear benefits, opposition remains from certain law enforcement agencies, commercial cannabis interests, and policymakers concerned about regulation and enforcement. Some argue that home cultivation could lead to unregulated sales, increased black market activity, and challenges in ensuring compliance with odor and visibility restrictions. However, states that have already legalized home cultivation have implemented safeguards to mitigate these concerns, Where, in these states, concerns over diversion and significant loss of retail sales have not appeared. Furthermore, concerns over enforcement should not outweigh the benefits of decriminalization, consumer rights, and social equity. By adopting clear guidelines and education efforts, Washington can successfully integrate home cultivation into its existing legal framework while preventing abuse.

Time for Washington to Catch Up
"Washington’s cannabis consumers deserve the same rights as those in other legal states, where home cultivation is already a norm," said Dr. Caitlein Ryan, Executive Director at The Cannabis Alliance. "HB 1449 brings fairness, personal freedom, and a long-overdue update to our cannabis policies. Legalization should not just mean access for purchase—it should also mean the right to grow, particularly for those who need it most."

The Cannabis Alliance urges legislators, industry stakeholders, and community advocates to rally behind this bill. Public support is vital in ensuring its passage and securing the right for responsible adults to cultivate cannabis at home.

For more information or to get involved in advocacy efforts, visit www.thecannabisalliance.us or contact Executive Director Caitlein Ryan at email@thecannabisalliance.us.

About The Cannabis Alliance
The Cannabis Alliance is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of vital, ethical, equitable, and sustainable cannabis industry in Washington State. Through education, advocacy, and policy reform, The Cannabis Alliance works to create a well-regulated cannabis market that benefits consumers, businesses, and communities alike.

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The Cannabis Alliance to Host Second Annual Medical Cannabis Summit in Seattle

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Cannabis Alliance to Host Second Annual Medical Cannabis Summit in Seattle

Seattle, WA – The Cannabis Alliance announces the return of its Medical Cannabis Summit, set to take place on Thursday, December 12, at the Seattle Public Library – Central Branch. The event will run from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM and will also be available live via Zoom for those unable to attend in person.

This year’s summit will focus on critical issues affecting the medical cannabis community with in-depth discussions on the current state of medical cannabis in Washington state and its evolving role on the national stage. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with experts during specialized panels including a panel on safe consumption and a panel with representatives from Washington’s Department of Health.

The event is open to the public. Key stakeholders such as representatives from the Department of Health and the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board, as well as patients, patient advocates, medical providers, medical cannabis consultants and budtenders, and national industry groups are highly encouraged to attend.

“We are excited to bring together leading voices and dedicated advocates for this important discussion,” said Caitlein Ryan, PhD, Executive Director of The Cannabis Alliance. “As we continue to navigate the complexities of medical cannabis policy and regulation, it’s essential that we foster collaboration and education at both the local and national levels.

Tickets are priced at $10 and can be purchased through The Cannabis Alliance’s website. Don’t miss this opportunity to participate in an event that will help shape the future of medical cannabis.

For more information, please visit www.thecannabisalliance.us or contact The Cannabis Alliance at email@thecannabisalliance.us.

Media Contact: The Cannabis Alliance

Email:  email@thecannabisalliance.us

Event Information: https://www.thecannabisalliance.us/medical-cannabis-summit

Washington Lawmakers Pass HB 1453, Granting Excise Tax Exemption for Medical Cannabis Patients

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Industry Association The Cannabis Alliance Applauds Washington Lawmakers for Passing Senate House Bill 1453, Granting Excise Tax Exemption for Medical Cannabis Patients

Seattle, March 1, 2024  – The Cannabis Alliance, the leading advocate organization for the cannabis industry in Washington state, commends state lawmakers for their progressive approach toward supporting the well-being of medical cannabis patients. The recent approval of SHB 1453 marks a significant milestone in acknowledging the medicinal value of cannabis and ensuring that patients have access to affordable medicine.

SHB 1453, sponsored by State Representatives Wylie, Chapman, and Kloba, received overwhelming support from both chambers of the Washington State Legislature. The legislation introduces a vital excise tax exemption for medical cannabis patients, recognizing the unique medical needs of individuals who rely on cannabis as a part of their treatment plan.

Washington State medical cannabis patients currently pay a 37% excise tax, which is significantly higher than any other adult-use state by more than 10%

Key provisions of SHB 1453 include:

Tax Exemption: The bill provides an excise tax exemption for medical cannabis patients on the state registry, acknowledging the therapeutic benefits of cannabis for various medical conditions. This exemption aims to reduce the financial burden on patients who depend on cannabis as a vital component of their healthcare.

Patient-Centric Approach: SHB 1453 underscores the importance of a patient-centric approach to cannabis policy. By granting tax relief to medical cannabis patients, Washington State demonstrates its commitment to prioritizing the well-being of individuals who rely on cannabis for relief from chronic pain, debilitating conditions, and other medical challenges.

Accessible Medicine: SHB 1453 incentivizes the production of Medical Grade Cannabis, which is held to a more stringent regulatory protocol. The tax exemption is a crucial step in promoting affordability and ensuring that patients do not face unnecessary financial barriers to medicine. 

The Cannabis Alliance is grateful to all the legislators who supported and championed SHB 1453. This landmark legislation reflects a broader recognition of the evolving role of cannabis in healthcare and the importance of creating policies that are inclusive, compassionate, and responsive to the needs of patients.

As the cannabis industry continues to mature, The Cannabis Alliance remains dedicated to advocating for policies that promote the responsible and sensible growth of the industry, prioritize patient access, and contribute to the overall well-being of our communities.

Caitlein Ryan, Executive Director of The Cannabis Alliance says “Adult-use cannabis only exists because of the decades before when patients were forced into legally gray areas to access medicine that was often the only option to treat their illness.  The fortitude and advocacy of patients in need paved the way for our adult-use market here in Washington and across the country.  It is a big step forward that even as the federal government is also officially recognizing the medical use of cannabis the legislature here agrees that we should not tax medicine at 37%.” 

About The Cannabis Alliance: Based in Seattle, Washington, The Cannabis Alliance is a membership-based non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of a vital, ethical, equitable, and sustainable cannabis industry. 

www.thecannabisalliance.us

www.instagram.com/thecannabisalliance

www.facebook.com/TheCanAlliance

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Coalition Focuses on Worker-Safety Challenges Faced by State-Legal Cannabis Stores Due to High Cash-Prevalence

Groups See “Moral Imperative” for Congress to Pass SAFE Banking This Year

Washington, DC:  As the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs prepares to take up the long-awaited “SAFE Banking Act of 2023,” 35 organizations including both NGOs and trade associations have signed a letter to Congress that addresses the bill from a worker-safety perspective.

Among the organizations signing the letter to Congress is the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union.  UFCW, which represents 1.3 million workers in the US and Canada, was the first major union to represent workers in the state-legal cannabis industry.  Another major signatory is Housing Works, an NYC-based nonprofit that fights AIDS and homelessness.  Housing Works was awarded one of New York State’s nonprofit cannabis store licenses in 2022, and opened the first adult use cannabis store in the state last January.  The letter was organized by StoptheDrugWar.org (a national drug policy reform nonprofit) and The Cannabis Alliance (representing cannabis businesses in Washington State).

The letter draws on findings from a surge of nearly 100 robberies of state-legal cannabis (marijuana) retail stores that affected 80 stores in Washington State between November 2021 and April 2022, and cost three lives.  The letter notes that in 40% of the documented cases, cash alone was targeted by the robbers.  The letter also noted that robberies targeting the back of a store – which in the great majority of cases sought cash from the store’s safe, and only sought cash – exhibited higher average aggression levels than robberies that only targeted the front of a store.

The letter called it “a moral imperative for Congress to enact some version of the SAFE Banking Act this year,” warning of “the demonstrated humanitarian toll that is possible if an event as occurred in Washington were to recur.”  The organizations stated, “SAFE Banking is not the first effort to address the cannabis sector’s dangerous overreliance on cash, and it may not be the last that is needed.  But the safety issues faced by the cannabis sector won’t be solved without it.”

Anthony Feliciano, Director of Advocacy for Housing Works, wrote “The Housing Works cannabis store is meaningful for our mission because every day our organization serves people who have been negatively impacted by the War on Drugs.  But like the rest of the legal cannabis market, we must have a healthy regulated market, which includes reducing cash usage in stores and reducing the high fees and instabilities in cannabis banking.  The SAFE Banking Act of 2023 takes steps that are needed to get us there.  If may also spur reduced prices for consumers – a group that includes patients – because cannabis businesses may become more able to access business financing.”

Caitlein Ryan, Executive Director of The Cannabis Alliance, said “Our member businesses in Washington State have suffered the worst in the nation to date from cannabis store robberies.  We know from hard experience just how serious a problem cannabis cash can be for our community – we don’t want it to happen again here, and we don’t want what happened to us to happen anywhere else.”

David Borden, Executive Director of StoptheDrugWar.org and author of the report<https://stopthedrugwar.org/delays> that analyzed the 2021-2022 robbery surge, added “As cash usage in our society has declined, people who steal for a living have become desperate for income.  Those stores which have valuable merchandise to target, or which still have lots of cash around – or which like cannabis stores have both – are proportionally more at risk being targeted than was likely in the past.  This means the problem isn’t going to just go away on its own.  Worker safety is a matter of basic justice, and while we continue to work for broad drug policy reform, we feel an obligation to also help cannabis workers right now.”

Contact:         David Borden, borden@drcnet.org, (202) 236-8620

                        Caitlein Ryan, caitlein.ryan@thecannabisalliance.us, (425) 314-9004

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Governor Jay Inslee Makes Important Announcement at The Cannabis Alliance Annual Summit

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
LARA KAMINSKY
THE CANNABIS ALLIANCE
(206)240-0567
lara.kaminsky@thecannabisalliance.us

Governor Jay Inslee joined several Washington State regulatory agencies and other public officials at the annual Cannabis Alliance Summit Friday, January 4, 2019 to announce the news that the state of Washington will offer pardons for thousands with misdemeanor pot convictions. This announcement plays an important role within our state judicial system and for the Cannabis Alliance since its membership has made vacating past cannabis convictions one of their top priorities.

Governor Inslee also credited Representative Joe Fitzgibbons (D) for leading this effort and his continued work on pardoning anyone who has an otherwise clean criminal record but with a sole conviction as an adult for misdemeanor possession of marijuana in Washington state. Under this initiative, Inslee will exercise his constitutional clemency authority to pardon individuals who have a single conviction on their criminal record. “We shouldn’t be punishing people for something that is no longer illegal behavior in the state of Washington,” Inslee said at the event. He said he believes there is broad public support for the expedited pardon process.

The Summit event was the perfect locale for the Governor’s announcement as it has historically been recognized as an important event in positioning Washington State as a powerful thought leader in the industry. Other dignitaries at the Summit included Rep. Joe Fitzgibbons, Rep. Shelley Kloba, Rep. Melanie Morgan and Rep. Derek Stanford. Regulatory agencies and officials present at the event included Washington State Liquor & Cannabis Board (WSLCB), Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA), Washington State Department of Health (DOH), City of Seattle, Association of Washington Businesses, City of Bellingham, Washington State Parks & Recreation and office staff of the Governor as well as multiple organizations that represent a unifying force in the industry including NCIA, CORE, ORCA and CFC.

About The Cannabis Alliance
The Cannabis Alliance is a non-profit, membership-based association of individuals, businesses, government officials, and non-profit organizations dedicated to the advancement of a vital, ethical, and sustainable cannabis industry. Top Goals for the upcoming legislative session are: Clarifying Cannabis cultivation as an agricultural activity, Vacating records of past cannabis convictions and Eliminating or reducing the excise tax for patients.

About The Cannabis Alliance Summit
The Washington Cannabis Summit is dedicated to the goal of positioning WA State as a powerful thought leader in the industry. It is designed to challenge the current state of affairs with Cannabis legislation, research and education. We push the envelope of the conversation past current problems, into a realm where we openly discuss opportunities for the future of the industry. The audience of the summit included legislators, policy makers, government employees, business owners, medical professionals, educators, lobbyist for NCIA, its board chair and the newly forming Washington State Cannabis Action Committee. The high caliber of speakers and panel topics, along with an informed and experienced audience, inspired connection and problem solving among all participants in creating a more vibrant and forward thinking Cannabis industry.