Washington governor Jay Inslee signed a cannabis “omnibus bill” into law yesterday and officially added a host of new regulations to the state’s marijuana rulebook.
According to Seattle alt-weekly The Stranger, Inslee’s signature put in motion plans to create an organic certification for the state’s cannabis crop, create a system for legal home grows and finally added language to state marijuana legislation that allows adults to share their legal weed. The omnibus bill passed state legislators last month and was signed by Inslee shortly before it was set to expire.
The organic certification system will be the first of its kind and give more purchasing information to consumers, as well as incentives for cultivators to use sustainable growing techniques. But, thanks to the federal government’s control of the word “organic,” the state will need to find a new word to describe their environmentally-friendly cannabis.
If you’ve got any ideas, the state is currently taking suggestions for the new organic-esque nomenclature. You can send proposals to organic@agr.wa.gov.
As for home grows, Washington is currently the only state with comprehensive recreational cannabis legalization that doesn’t allow adults to grow their own bud. The new laws are the first step in changing that. Home grows are still illegal, but the state’s Liquor Control Board has now been tasked with investigating the possibility of adding grow-your-own rules.
A similar investigatory process put into motion by the omnibus bill will also look at bringing industrial hemp production to the Evergreen State.
And while we’re pretty sure that Washingtonians have already been sharing joints, bowls, edibles and every other form of cannabis available, the recreational use law passed by Washington voters in 2012 outlaws sharing the kind bud. No one has ever been arrested for sharing their legal weed, but the new laws now officially protect social smokers.
So, you heard the Governor, Washington stoners – start passing that blunt around and help state regulators come up with a new name for organic weed. We’ve got our fingers crossed for just a simple “OG” label.
