A bill to allow Washington State adults to grow marijuana at home cleared its first legislative hurdle on Thursday, passing out of the House Regulated Substances and Gaming Committee on a 7–4 vote.
The proposal, HB 1614, would make it legal for people 21 and older to grow up to six plants for personal use, with a maximum of 15 per household. Plants would need to be labeled, grown out of public view and not “readily smelled” outside the premises.
Washington is one of only a few other states, along with Illinois and New Jersey, where commercial cannabis is legal but home cultivation by consumers remains prohibited—and it’s the only legal marijuana state where the practice is a felony.
The bill’s lead sponsor, Rep. Shelley Kloba (D), said before Thursday’s vote that the legislation “moves us toward an evolution where we can start looking at this plant as a plant.”
“It is legal to purchase products in the store, so it should also be legal to grow it at home with sensible sideboards,” she said.
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