Host Austin Jenkins sits down in the TVW Studio for interviews with Representatives Shelley Kloba and Kelly Chambers, the Chair and Ranking Republican on the House Regulated Substances and Gaming Committee; plus, Senator Jesse Salomon on his bill to legalize supervised use of psilocybin.
A decade after Washingtonians voted to legalize cannabis, state regulators and lawmakers have their hands full deciding how best to regulate the rapidly changing field. This year, state legislators are considering bills that would regulate cannabis products with high levels of Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, allow cannabis home grows, and much more.
In the alcohol arena, the House Regulated Substances and Gaming Committee has heard bills that would make alcohol home delivery — something that was offered for the first time during COVID — permanent. Plus the committee is working to find the sweet spot on taxation of low-alcohol beverages — liquor-based drinks currently are taxed at a significantly higher rate than beer- and wine-based drinks.
Psilocybin, the hallucinogenic substance found in “magic mushrooms,” has significant potential for treating PTSD, depression, and substance abuse, according to Senator Jesse Salomon. He has a bill that would legalize the closely supervised use of psilocybin, with people over 21 eligible to be administered the substance at a registered facility under the supervision of a trained facilitator.