Washington adults could soon grow their own marijuana at home for the first time since voters legalized cannabis twelve years ago. On Tuesday, the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee passed a bill that would let people 21 and older cultivate up to six plants on their own property, ending one of the strictest prohibitions in the country.
The surprise voice vote moves the legislation closer to reality than any previous home-grow proposal in Washington state history.
The measure, Senate Bill 6085, permits adults to grow up to six mature cannabis plants and six immature plants at their residence. Households with multiple adults could have up to twelve mature plants total. People could also possess up to fifteen pounds of usable marijuana produced from their own plants, far more than the current one-ounce public possession limit.
This would finally bring Washington in line with nineteen other recreational cannabis states that already allow home cultivation.
Plants must stay in a secure space on private property, out of public view. Landlords could still ban growing in rental units, and local governments could impose reasonable restrictions.
Veterans Lead the Push, Police Push Back
At the January 30 public hearing, military veterans delivered some of the most emotional testimony in support.
Jose Gutierrez, a Marine Corps veteran and former police officer, told lawmakers he relies on cannabis to manage chronic pain and PTSD. “I shouldn’t have to break the law to grow my own medicine in my own home,” he said.
Law enforcement groups strongly opposed the change. The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs warned that home growing could increase illegal diversion to the black market and make it harder to detect large-scale illegal grows.
Committee chair Karen Keiser (D-Des Moines) acknowledged the concerns but noted the bill includes new penalties for unauthorized production and sales.
Why Washington Has Been Different for So Long
When voters passed Initiative 502 in 2012, the measure deliberately banned home cultivation. Liquor Control Board members at the time worried that allowing home growing would jeopardize federal approval and banking access for legal businesses.
That fear proved mostly unfounded. Colorado, Oregon, California, and sixteen other states all permit home growing without losing federal banking services or triggering major federal crackdowns.
Washington now stands almost alone among major cannabis states in completely banning personal cultivation for recreational users. Only Idaho, which still prohibits all marijuana use, has stricter rules.
Revenue Reality Check
State analysts project the change would cost Washington’s legal cannabis industry between $20 million and $50 million in annual sales as some consumers choose to grow their own instead of buying from stores.
Yet sponsors argue the trade-off is worth it for personal freedom and reducing black market incentives.
“People are already growing at home illegally,” Senator Noel Frame (D-Seattle) said after the vote. “This bill brings them into the light and gives them a safe, legal option.”
Next Steps and Real Odds of Passing
The bill now heads to the Senate Rules Committee before a possible floor vote. If the full Senate approves it, the measure would move to the House, where a companion bill has not yet been introduced.
Democratic leaders have not committed to bringing home cultivation to a vote this session, which ends March 7. But Tuesday’s committee passage marks the farthest any home-grow bill has advanced in Washington state history.
Governor Jay Inslee has not taken a public position on this specific legislation, though his office has supported previous cannabis reforms.
After twelve years of legal sales generating more than $5.5 billion in tax revenue, Washington appears ready to finally trust its adults to grow a plant in their own homes.
