The state House of Representatives approved a bill Tuesday that would make it illegal to manufacture and sell alcohol mixed with THC. John Sattgast reports from Olympia.
Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC is the main psychoactive compound in marijuana. When combined with alcohol, Stevenson Representative Kevin Waters says the effects of impairment can be deadly:
“In my community, we lost a 17-year-old girl in high school because of the effects of a car accident where THC and alcohol were combined.”
Waters is a 17th District freshman Republican legislator from Southwest Washington. He wants to get ahead of the issue before these types of products become more prevalent:
“My biggest fear is that our youth can get ahold of a product where alcohol and THC are combined, or someday, we have federal regulation come through where alcohol and THC can be combined.”
In Washington, both substances are independently legal, but regulated. House Bill 1772 would prohibit the manufacture, importation and sale of products that combine THC and liquor. The bill passed 94 to 3 and now heads to the Senate.