Welcome

Thank you for visiting Washington CannaBusiness Association (WACA). We hope our website provides information that helps inform about our efforts to build a safe, quality-controlled and fully-regulated marketplace for cannabis, and supports development of a robust industry for hemp in Washington State.

WACA is committed to engaging with local communities, elected officials and regulators to protect public safety and uphold community values that help keep cannabis away from kids. For responsible adults over the age of 21, WACA was deeply involved in developing standards for cannabis products that are safer for patients and non-patients.

What's New (March 11, 2024) - United States Senator Maria Cantwell has announced her support for the Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation (SAFER) Banking Act of 2023, which if adopted would allow cannabis businesses operating in legal marketplaces to access regular banking services. This would improve public safety for workers, adult-consumers and the communities where cannabis businesses operate. The Washington cannabis industry thanks and applauds Senator Cantwell for her support. In her announcement, the Senator said, “last year there were more than 50 robbery attempts at [cannabis retailers] in the State of Washington. This bill will take the target off the backs of our state’s dispensaries by updating federal banking laws so they don’t have to do all their business in cash."

"Federal Scientists Recommend Easing Restrictions on Marijuana," read a headline last month in the New York Times. The article reports that cannabis "is neither as risky nor as prone to abuse as other tightly controlled substances and has potential medical benefits, and therefore should be removed from the nation’s most restrictive category of drugs, federal scientists have concluded."

The emerging, regulated cannabis and hemp industries are still misunderstood by some. WACA works tirelessly to ensure its members acknowledge and embrace their responsibility to follow the law, earn public trust, and collaborate to strengthen the system that protects consumers and communities alike. As we reflect on the first 10 years of legalization and prepare for the next 10 years, we are proud to advocate on behalf of a regulated marketplace that directly employs 11,330 workers, supports 18,360 jobs in our state and in 2020 generated $660.8 million in state and local tax revenues for public services. Interested in learning more about the economic impact of the legal cannabis marketplace in Washington? Please reach out to us to receive a copy of our Economic Impact Analysis commissioned by WACA in 2021 and conducted by Dr. Spencer Cohen of High Peak Strategy.