Despite marijuana being legal since 2012, laws for advertising paraphernalia or possessing large quantities may still land people with fines and jail time. Knowing what is and is not legal provides the opportunity to indulge in the drug safely and responsibly.
One provision omitted from legalization was home growing. As Marijuana Moment reports, the Washington House of Representatives may consider new legislation to allow individuals to grow their own marijuana.
Homegrown legislation in 2021
Lawmakers originally cut home cultivation from legislation in 2012 in an effort to appeal to more voters. With eight years of legalized cannabis, lawmakers now feel the prohibition is an antiquated policy.
Opponents fear that legal home growing may expand the illicit market or diminish tax revenue from state-licensed outlets.
The proposed measure allows adults 21 and older to grow up to six cannabis plants per person — with a max total of 15 plants per household. Rules for labeling and planting would help keep track of any inconsistency from seed to harvest.
Changes to current laws
One important change for households includes the fact that harvesters would get to keep as much marijuana as their legal plants produce. A home grower, with the correct labeling, could likely possess more than the current one-ounce possession limit.
Washington statutes indicate that possession of between 1 ounce and 40 grams of marijuana is punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and 90 days incarceration.
As legislation adapts to new normals and evolves with contemporary concerns, it is important to keep up so that anyone smoking or using marijuana products does so knowing the correct limits. Those facing criminal defense charges today must still face the limits that the state presently has.
