Thursday’s hearings at the State House went better than advocates could have reasonably expected. Thanks to all who contacted senators! They received a large number of messages, and this clearly made a positive impact.
Of the three concerning bills we informed you about previously, two appear to have been neutralized:
- The sponsor of SB 418 (the DWI bill) proposed an amendment that would completely remove the THC section. Nobody testified in favor of an arbitrary limit for THC levels, and the committee showed no interest in that topic. It appears that we can stop worrying about this bill, at least for now.
- The hearing on SB 419 (16% THC potency cap) began similarly. The bill’s sponsor did not advocate for the potency cap and instead proposed an amendment removing that provision entirely. Senators asked questions about potency limits during the hearing, but the committee did not seem interested in adopting limits for therapeutic cannabis. We will continue to monitor this legislation, but at this point it appears unlikely to include a potency cap.
The fate of the third concerning bill remains unclear:
- The committee listened to testimony on SB 426, which would establish a misdemeanor penalty for possessing cannabis in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle. They did not take action on the bill, so we will continue to keep our eyes on this legislation.
Update on Next Week’s State House Action
Previously, we shared details on several good House bills that will receive public hearings on Thursday, January 18. The schedule includes several bills that would improve the Therapeutic Cannabis Program. Visit our previous blog for details on those bill hearings and information on how to contact elected officials.
In addition to the therapeutic cannabis bills being considered on Thursday, another committee has scheduled a hearing for Wednesday on an adult-use legalization bill. The House Commerce Committee will hold a public hearing on HB 1633 beginning at 2:45pm on Wednesday, January 17. The hearing will take place in Room 302-304 of the Legislative Office Building (behind the State House).
Thanks for reading!
