OLYMPIA — Washington finalized swift changes to the state’s definition of marijuana Wednesday after prosecutors and crime lab scientists expressed concern about the technical aspects of a voter-approved legalization initiative.
Gov. Jay Inslee approved the revision, which was also supported by the Seattle lawyer who drafted the initiative that legalized recreational marijuana last year. The bill was first submitted in the Legislature just a week ago, and lawmakers in both chambers quickly moved it to the governor’s desk.
“It was important to get this done in a timely fashion,” Inslee said.
The problem centered around a portion of the initiative that was written to distinguish marijuana from industrial hemp, grown for its fiber. The measure defined marijuana as having more than 0.3 percent of a certain intoxicating compound, called delta-9 THC.
Scientists with the state crime lab say that often, even potent marijuana can have less than 0.3 percent of delta-9 THC. It’s only when heated or burned that a different compound, THC acid, turns into delta-9 THC and the pot achieves its full potency.
