WaLeg Day 89: House begins debate on pot bills

OLYMPIA — The House began debating the Cannabis Patient Protection Act about 4:25 p.m.

First up was an amendment to eliminate the proposed registry for medical marijuana patients. It failed .

Next was an amendment that gives preference for medical marijuana licenses to existing license owners who have paid their taxes. It passed .

Next was an amendment that prohibited possession by someone under 21, regardless of THC content. It passed .

An amendment to add traumatic brain injury to the list of conditions eligible for treatment with marijuana passed .

An amendment making it a felony to illegally access the database or reveal information for it passed .

An amendment to remove marijuana from the state’s schedule 1 list, which is only for drugs that have no accepted medical use and a high level for abuse, passed .

An effort to “de-link” the bill from a separate bill that revises marijuana taxes failed.

A major rewrite — which includes making the database a voluntary “blind registry” without addresses listed; allows patients as young as 18 to be medical marijuana patient; allows one patient to give or sell marijuana to another patient; expands size and membership in community gardens, and allows broader growing and production of medical marijuana products — failed .

The revised bill, which makes changes to the medical marijuana and requires a database for patients, passed on a vote of 60-36.