Washington: Representative Hurst is Keeping an Eye out for Canna-business

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]H[/dropcap]ave you ever been at home, ran out of cannabis, and wished you could have it delivered on demand? And if you’ve already experienced that pleasure, have you ever wished you could do so 100 percent legally, so even your delivery person didn’t have to worry? Well if you live in Seattle, that fantasy may soon be a reality. House Bill 2368 made its way to the House floor in January, and is still in review. Sponsored by State Representatives Christopher Hurst (D-Enumclaw) and Cary Condotta (R-East Wenatchee), the bill originally only allowed five cannabis retailers to offer delivery service. But, seeing as that wouldn’t even come close to meeting local demands, Representative Hurst amended the bill to allow as many retailers to deliver as the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board is willing to license. And that’s not all Hurst is doing to help promote canna-business in Washington.

Hurst, along with several other State Representatives. Including Condotta, has sponsored another canna-business friendly bill. House Bill 2347 aims to reduce the excise tax on cannabis sales from its current 37 percent, to a more reasonable 25 percent. Unfortunately, HB-2347’s deadline to pass the House Finance Committee by the Legislature’s was February 9, and the bill didn’t pass. Still, Hurst held out hope that it could be amended and eventually passed, but was unsure whether or not he’d follow-up on it. So why is Hurst so passionate about creating a competitive business environment for our state’s cannabis producers, processors, and retailers? He explained why in a statement made to the North Kitsap Herald.

“We can’t get there if we price ourselves so much higher than the illicit market,” Hurst stated. “The criminals love the tax rate being high, because they don’t pay it, and it makes it so the legal people can’t compete with them.”

“The voters, when they passed 502, didn’t say that they wanted more people smoking marijuana or people to smoke more marijuana,” Hurst went on. “What they said was they wanted a stabilized, well-regulated market and, fundamentally, you don’t get there if the price is so high that you’re keeping organized crime in business.”

Hurst is somewhat of an unlikely advocate for cannabis. Back in 2010, Hurst voted no on HB-177, which called for the decriminalization of cannabis. During that time, he stated that he couldn’t in good conscience, pass a bill that conflicted with Federal law. Whatever his reason for changing his mind, legal cannabis supporters all over the state should be grateful that he did. Especially those trying to make money legally.