Washington state regulators have some marijuana reforms in mind

With half a decade of experience in regulating legal marijuana, officials in Olympia are ready to overhaul the state’s weed industry.

Last week, in an interview with the Associated Press, Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board Director Rick Garza outlined plans for what the board is calling “Cannabis 2.0.” The series of proposals, which will head to the state Legislature in the form of two bills during the next session, take a more proactive approach going forward.

“We’ve typically been so challenged with the issues of the day we haven’t been looking out long-term to determine what the future looks like,” Garza told the AP.

If the proposals go through, they will mark the largest changes to the state’s legal marijuana market since its inception, and they would impact everyone from potential producers all the way to the consumer.

One bill targets existing producers. Specifically, it deals with “tier one” producers, the smallest in the state, who are currently limited to just 2,000 square feet of growing space. The bill would expand that number to 5,000 square feet, and potentially 8,000 down the road. It would also allow them to sell medical marijuana directly to medical patients. [Read more at Inlander]