The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board on Wednesday morning adopted a motion to implement 2022 legislation replacing the word “marijuana” with “cannabis” in state law.
House Bill 1210 makes the switch in terminology to combat what it calls the historical racism associated with the word “marijuana.”
After passing the Legislature unanimously, HB 1210 was signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee on March 11.
“Passing the bill, the Legislature found use of the term ‘marijuana’ in the United States has discriminatory origins and should be replaced with the more scientifically accurate term ‘cannabis,’” explained Jeff Kildahl, LCB’s cannabis policy and rules coordinator, during the virtual meeting. “For this reason, the bill replaced the term ‘marijuana’ with the term ‘cannabis’ throughout the Revised Code of Washington, including Chapter 69.50 RCW, the Uniform Controlled Substances Act.”
He added the word switch would also apply to Title 314 of the Washington Administrative Code detailing the duties and responsibilities of the LCB.
The Evergreen State became one of the first two states – along with Colorado – to legalize adult recreational use of cannabis when voters approved Initiative 502 on Nov. 6, 2012.
Although the terms are often seen as interchangeable, the Spanish word “marijuana” was once used to emphasize the foreign nature of the drug at a time of increased xenophobia.
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