If enacted, the legislation would explicitly allow licensed marijuana producers to organize and operate as agricultural cooperatives under state law. The change would place marijuana alongside other agricultural products already eligible for cooperative formation, while leaving the state’s existing marijuana licensing and regulatory framework intact.
Supporters of the bill say cooperative authorization could provide meaningful relief for small and mid-sized producers facing rising costs and consolidation within Washington’s regulated marijuana market. By working together through cooperatives, producers would be able to collaborate on processing, marketing, and distribution, potentially improving efficiency and strengthening their ability to compete.
Under current law, agricultural producers are allowed to form cooperatives, but marijuana has not been clearly defined as an eligible agricultural product for those purposes. House Bill 1941 addresses that gap by amending state statutes to treat marijuana as a farm product when produced by licensed growers, without altering oversight by state regulators.
Read the rest at The Marijuana Herald
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