Short-term rentals like Airbnbs in Washington State would be able to offer guests complimentary marijuana prerolls under a bill introduced this week.
The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Melanie Morgan (D), would create a new permit category for such short-term rentals, enabling them to apply to be able to provide guests over the age of 21 with a free joint with up to a gram of cannabis.
If enacted, there would be a $75 annual permit fee for the rental operators to offer the cannabis service.
Each adult guest could get a complimentary preroll “only after an operator or staff person of the short-term rental, who is present at the short-term rental property, verifies that each rental guest who will consume a prerolled useable cannabis product is age 21 or over by checking a valid form of identification of each such rental guest at the time rental guests arrive,” the bill text states.
“The rental guests must be informed the rental guests are being offered a prerolled useable cannabis product and that it is unlawful to open a package containing cannabis, useable cannabis, or cannabis products or to consume cannabis, useable cannabis, or cannabis products in view of the general public or in a public place,” it says.
Rental guests could either consume the cannabis at the facility or remove it from the property and use it elsewhere in compliance with state law.
The legislation, which is being cosponsored by Reps. Natasha Hill (D) and Nicole Macri (D), is scheduled for an initial hearing before the House Consumer Protection & Business Committee on Friday.
Lawmakers in certain other states—including Missouri—have also attempted to leverage their cannabis laws in a way that bolsters tourism.
Several studies, meanwhile, have linked state-level legalization to increase home and rental property values, as well as increased revenue at hotels.
Airbnb stands out as one of the most popular options for travelers seeking short-term rentals. And while it’s not clear where the company might stands on the Washington State bill, it does allow prospective guests to search for properties that are smoking friendly.
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Meanwhile, lawmakers in Washington also recently approved a bill that would allow terminally ill patients to use medical cannabis in healthcare facilities such as hospitals, nursing homes and hospices.
Separately, legislators are again considering legislation to expand the state’s voter-approved marijuana legalization law by allowing recreational consumers to grow their own cannabis plants. That proposal is also up for an initial hearing on Friday alongside the short-term rental cannabis permit legislation.
Photo courtesy of Martin Alonso.
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