Legislation to Legalize Marijuana Home Grows Filed in Washington State Senate

A trio of senators in Washington State have introduced legislation that would allow those 21 and older to grow marijuana at home. The proposal is a companion to House Bill 1449, which was given approval in early 2025 by the Consumer Protection and Business Committee. Senate Bill 6204 was filed today, January 19, by State Senators Rebecca Saldaña (D), Noel Frame (D) and State Senator T’wina Nobles (D), and has been referred to the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee for consideration. If enacted, the measure would make Washington one of the last legal marijuana states to authorize home cultivation for non-medical use.

Under the proposal, adults 21 and older would be allowed to grow up to six marijuana plants at their residence, with a cap of 15 plants per household regardless of how many adults live there. Marijuana and marijuana products derived from those plants would be legal to possess so long as they are produced and kept at the grower’s home. The bill includes restrictions aimed at limiting public exposure, including provisions barring plants or harvested marijuana from being visible from public view or readily smelled from neighboring properties.

The legislation also sets clear penalties for exceeding the limits. Growing more than six plants but fewer than 16 would be treated as a civil infraction, while growing 16 or more plants would remain a felony offense. Law enforcement would be authorized to seize and destroy plants grown in excess of what the law allows.

Washington voters approved recreational marijuana in 2012, but unlike most other legalization states, lawmakers never authorized home cultivation for the general adult population.