One of the more difficult processes to go through when working in the marijuana industry is getting approval from legislature to progress with good business. Recently the Washington Legislature allowed an overhaul of the state’s medical marijuana sector and delivered to Gov. Jay Inslee a bill that seeks to eliminate unregulated dispensary revenue now that the state’s recreational market is in place.

The Senate agreed with the bill being amended in the House this past week, as well as voting on the bill and it passing from the chamber, to the governor for his signature by a  41-8 decision. After the voters casted their ballots, the investor behind the bill announced that the state could no longer wait to accommodate the recreational and the medical markets.

“The reality is that we have a thriving illicit market,” said Republican Sen. Ann Rivers of La Center. “It’s essential that we shut that down. But it was also essential that our patients had a clean supply and an adequate supply.”Together with its many provisions, Senate Bill 5052 would develop a database of patients. The different changes occurring in the House, involved making the patient registry available was a must under the initial Senate version. Yet, unregistered patients would not be granted access to obtain the same amount of cannabis to enjoy similar tax breaks that registered patients would.
With the understanding that patients who are entered into the database and given an authorization card will have the right to carry three times the amount of cannabis that is permitted under recreational law: 84 grams of dry herb, 48 ounces of pot infused solids, 216 ounces liquid and 21 grams of concentrated cannabis. These types of patients could also cultivate up to half a dozen plants from the comfort of their home, but authorized to obtain more by a licensed physician.
For a person who does not obtain an authorization card but is looked upon as a qualified patient, the amount is the same as the recreational cap of one ounce. Though, that type of patient would be allowed to cultivate up to four plants and possess up 6 ounces per plant.In 2012 the roll of initiative 502 gave the legal right to sell marijuana to adults for recreational use at licensed dispensaries, that have begun  opening last summer. Recreational businesses have made their concerns known about being pressured by medical cannabis shops that have proliferated in many parts of the state, offering a smaller amount or untaxed alternatives to licensed recreational stores. The Senate Bill would enforce rules on collective gardens to stay in business, by needing the state Liquor Control Board, which would change its name to the Liquor and Cannabis Board-in order to embrace a merit based program for granting cannabis licenses.
The specifics that could be considered are whether the applicant in the past operated a collective garden, had a business license or paid money for business taxes.Democratic Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles out of Seattle announced that at the same time she was in agreeance that there needed to be a structure of both plans, she made the choice to vote no “because I needed to make that point for the patients””I’m worried about the patients who are dependent upon the places that they know well,” stated Sen. Kohl-Welles. However another bill passed by the House this past week is waiting for its moment to see action in the Senate that would create a means for eliminating the three tier tax system that voters passed in Initiative 502 and substituting it with a single excise tax of 30% at the point of sale that everyone would have to financially compensate, both patients and recreational users.Although, under that law, patients who are in the registry and have proper authorization information they would be excluded from any additional sales tax on their purchase. 

MAPH Enterprises, LLC | (305) 414-0128 | 1501 Venera Ave, Coral Gables, FL 33146 | new@marijuanastocks.com
Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You May Also Like