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. |
In This Section
Washington’s medical marijuana law took effect in 1998. It allows licensed health care professionals to recommend the use of cannabis for patients with a variety of medical conditions, providing legal protection for patients who grow or possess no more than 24 ounces and 15 plants. This section includes actual text of the legislation, a brief summary of the law and links to general resources for patients, providers and health care practitioners.
To become a medical cannabis patient, a person must suffer from a terminal or debilitating condition and be a resident of Washington state at the time of diagnosis. Some of the qualifying conditions include cancer, HIV/AIDS, Multiple Sclerosis, Glaucoma, Crohn’s Disease, Hepatitis C and epilepsy. This section includes an overview of state requirements for qualifying patients and links to other helpful information.
Health care professionals recommending medical cannabis must be licensed to practice medicine in the State of Washington. Physicians, physician’s assistants, naturopaths and advanced registered nurse practitioners have the authority to recommend medical cannabis. This section includes an overview of state requirements for recommending clinicians and links to other helpful information.
Every state has varying laws and regulations for caregivers, cultivators and medical cannabis providers. In Washington, patients may legally designate a provider to cultivate on their behalf or become a participating member of a collective garden. This section includes an overview of state requirements for designated providers and collective gardens, as well as links to other helpful resources.
Find local ASA Chapters, Action Groups and Affiliates in Washington and get involved in local campaigns.
The State of Medical Marijuana in Washington
