New bills SB 6204 and HB 2614 allow for cannabis home grows, with detection mechanisms that are difficult to enforce.

Both bills are similar to last year’s HB 1449, which would have allowed all individuals over age 21 to grow cannabis on the premises of their place of residence.

Under current state law, only a qualified medical patient or designated provider authorized by the Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) is allowed to grow cannabis plants at home. These new bills would expand that allowance to all individuals over age 21. SB 6204 is sponsored by Sen. Rebecca Saldaña (D–Seattle), and HB 2614 is sponsored by Rep. Shelley Kloba (D–Kirkland).

The bills establish the following limits on an individual over 21 growing cannabis plants:

• Individuals are limited to possessing no more than six cannabis plants at any time.
• A household with multiple individuals living together may have no more than 15 cannabis plants at any time, with civil or criminal penalties depending on how many plants are over the limit.
• Places such as family day care centers or foster homes are excluded.

• The cannabis plants must not be visible or smellable from a public place or another housing unit.

The bills allow investigating law enforcement to seize and destroy any cannabis plants that exceed the established limits. The bills also state that the LCB has no authority to investigate or enforce the new allowances created under the bills.

We are grateful to the bill sponsors for including specific protections for city liability and local decision-making in sections 7 and 8. However, AWC retains similar concerns as last year in that the bills still leave multiple aspects of enforcement (such as costs, property seizures, and smells) solely to local governments.

Dates to remember

SB 6204 is scheduled for a public hearing in the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee on Monday, January 26, at 10:30 am.

HB 2614 is scheduled for a public hearing in the House Consumer Protection & Business Committee on Friday, January 30, at 8 am.