Though Washington was among the first states in the nation to legalize commercial marijuana, growing the plant at home for recreational use remains a felony. Lawmakers have repeatedly rejected past personal cultivation proposals in the years since voters approved a 2012 legalization initiative, citing obstacles to enforcement and a worry that homegrown cannabis would be sold on the illicit market.

If last Friday’s hearing is any indication, however, this year could be different. Public testimony on the new homegrow bill, HB 1019, was relatively low-key, and most questions from lawmakers focused on minor details, such as how homegrow would compare to home beer brewing and whether landlords should be able to prohibit plants in rental units.

“I was surprised by the reasonableness of it,” said John Kingsbury, co-founder of advocacy group Homegrow Washington, told Marijuana Moment in an email after the hearing. “It isn’t always this way. In fact, it has never been this smooth before.”