Washington State Senate Unanimously Approves GOP-Led Bill To Crack Down On Violent Robberies At Cannabis Shops

The measure approved on Tuesday would raise penalties for using a vehicle to damage or gain access to retail cannabis outlets. The legislation, which passed the Senate in a 49-0 vote, now heads to the House for consideration. 

Under SB 6133, sponsored by state Senator Jim McCune (R), anyone who uses a car to smash and grab at a marijuana shop could be charged with either robbery 1 or 2 (class A or class B felony), according to McCune’s website.

The proposed legislation seeks to assist the state Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) in keeping statistics on break-ins by requiring marijuana outlets to report robberies within 10 days and tasking the Washington State Patrol with regular consultation with the LCB’s chief enforcement officer.

Robbery statistics best explain the need for this type of legislation as marijuana shops are experiencing an "epidemic" of costly robberies. In January 2022 alone, retail cannabis shops reported 29 armed, daytime robberies. There were six in one day. In February, there were 31 armed robberies. These figures might not even reveal the whole story as they were taken from the industry's unofficial register, called Uncle Ike's Robbery Tracker, writes My North West. 

Read more: Cannabis Dispensary Workers Sitting Ducks As Violent Robberies Increase & Politicians Dither Over Banking Details

Per the Washington’s Craft Cannabis Coalition, robberies at pot shops rose in 2022, with more than 100 cases reported as well as the first death of an employee during a break-in. 

See Also: Washington State Lawmakers Join Struggle Against Cannabis Shop Robberies

With marijuana still being federally illegal, cannabis companies are compelled to rely heavily on cash, which makes them ideal targets for robberies. 

"As we heard from those in the industry who testified … these types of robberies are happening on a weekly basis in Washington," McCune said. "Some of the retailers have been hit five, seven, even eight times, to the point where it is almost becoming routine. Some no longer even bother to report the crimes. Reporting and tracking these events are essential to understanding just how big of a problem this is and reducing the effects of these crimes on cannabis businesses and the communities where they are found."

Related Links: 

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Photo: Benzinga edit with images by Tima Miroshnichenko and Jess Loiterton via Pexels