Washington

Washington

46,573 Registered Patient Population

0.58% of Total Population Represented by Patients

163 Total Medical Retail Locations Currently in Operation

286 : 1 Patients : Retail

Cannabis is legal to all adults above 21 in Washington. Medical patients may grow 4 plants at home, or up to 15 per household with registration from the state. Patients and caregivers may shop at the state’s dispensaries. Washington does not recognize out of state medical cannabis cards. Patients report there are still few dispensaries which presents a barrier to access in many areas.

Patient Rights and Civil Protection	87/100
Arrest Protection 40/40 Affirmative Defense 15/15 Parental Rights Protections 10/10 DUI Protections 0/5 Employment Protections 2/5 Explicit Privacy Standards 7/7 Housing Protections 3/5 Does Not Create New Criminal Penalties for Patients 5/5 Organ Transplants 5/5 Reciprocity 0/3
Access to Medicine	72/100
Allows Distribution Programs 29/40 – Allows Access to Dried Flowers 15/15 – Allows Delivery 5/5 – No Sales Tax or Reasonable Sales Tax 1/5 – Allows for a Reasonable Number of Dispensaries 3/5 – Does Not Require Vertical Integration 2/2 – Ownership/Employment Restrictions 1/2 – Provisions for Labor Standards 0/2 – Environmental Impact Regulations 0/2 – Choice of Dispensary Without Restrictions 2/2 Noncommercial Cultivation 12/20 – Personal Cultivation 10/15 – Collective Gardening 2/5 Explicit Right to Edibles/Concentrates/Other Forms 8/10 Does not Impose Bans or Limits on THC 8/10 Does not Impose Bans on CBD 10/10 Local Bans/Zoning 5/10
Ease of Navigation	73/100
Comprehensive Qualifying Conditions 40/50 Adding New Conditions 0/10 – Law/Regulations Allow for New Conditions 0/5 – System Works for Adding New Conditions 0/5 Reasonable Access for Minors 9/10 Reasonable Caregiver Background Checks 4/4 Number of Caregivers 2/2 Patient/ Practitioner- Focused Task Force or Advisory Board 0/2 Reasonable Fees (Patients and Caregivers) 8/10 Allows Multiple-Year Registrations 0/2 Reasonable Physician Requirements 5/5 Does Not Classify Cannabis as a Medicine of Last Resort 5/5
Functionality	66/100
Patients Able to Access Medicine at Dispensaries or by Cultivation 35/50 No Significant Administrative or Supply Problems 7/15 Patients Can Receive Legal Protections Within Reasonable Time Frame of Doctor's Recommendation 8/10 Reasonable Possession Limits 4/5 Reasonable Purchase Limits 4/5 Allows Patients to Medicate Where They Choose 4/5 Covered by Insurance/State Health Aid 0/3 Financial Hardship (Fee Waivers/Discount Medicine) 4/7
Consumer Safety and Provider Requirements	93/100
Dispensing 22/25 Staff Training 5/5 Standard Operating Procedures 4/5 – Facility Sanitary Conditions 1/1.25 – Storage Protocols 1/1.25 – Reasonable Security Protocols 1/1.25 – Inventory Control 1/1.25 Recall Protocol and Adverse Event Reporting 3/5 Product Labeling 5/5 – Product Contents, Including Source Material Identification 1.67/1.67 – Allergens 1.67/1.67 – Potency/Compound Identification 1.67/1.67 Required Testing 5/5 – Active Compound Identification 1.67/1.67 – Contaminants 1.67/1.67 – Potency 1.67/1.67 Grow/Cultivation 23/25 Staff Training 5/5 Standard Operating Procedures 5/5 – Facility and Equipment Sanitary Conditions 0.71/0.71 – Workforce Safety Protocols 0.71/0.71 – Storage Protocols (Short-Term and Long-Term Storage) 0.71/0.71 – Reasonable Security Protocols 0.71/0.71 – Batch and Lot Tracking 0.71/0.71 – Disposal/Waste 0.71/0.71 – Water Management 0.71/0.71 Pesticide Guidance 5/5 – Pesticide Guidance 2.5/2.5 – Pesticide Labeling 2.5/2.5 Required Testing 5/5 – Active Ingredient Identification 1.25/1.25 – Contaminants 1.25/1.25 – Potency 1.25/1.25 – Sample Retention 1.25/1.25 Recall Protocol and Adverse Event Reporting 3/5 Manufacturing 23/25 Staff Training 5/5 Standard Operating Procedures 5/5 – Facility and Equipment Sanitary Conditions 1/1 – Workforce Safety Protocols 1/1 – Storage Protocols 1/1 – Reasonable Security Protocols 1/1 – Batch and Lot Tracking 1/1 Product Labeling 5/5 – Product Contents, Including Source Material Identification 1.67/1.67 – Allergens 1.67/1.67 – Potency and Compound Information 1.67/1.67 Required Testing 5/5 – Active Ingredient Identification 1/1 – Contaminants 1/1 – Potency 1/1 – Shelf Life Testing 1/1 – Sample Retention 1/1 Recall Protocol and Adverse Event Reporting 3/5 Laboratory Operations 25/25 Staff Training 5/5 Method Validation in Accordance with AHP Guidelines 5/5 Result Reporting 5/5 Independent or Third Party 5/5 Standard Operating Procedures and Protocols 5/5 – Equipment and Instrument Calibration 0.83/0.83 – Sample Tracking 0.83/0.83 – Facility and Equipment Sanitary Conditions 0.83/0.83 – Disposal/Waste 0.83/0.83 – Storage Protocols 0.83/0.83 – Workforce Safety Protocols 0.83/0.83
Covid Response	12/20
Delivery Available? 0/6 Curbside Pickup Available? 2/2 Medical Cannabis Essential? 7/7 Telemedicine Available? 3/5
Excerpted from ASA's 2020 State of the States Report.

Becoming a Patient in Washington

Recommending Cannabis in Washington

Washington Advocacy

History of Medical Cannabis in Washington

Policy Recommendations Washington