Designated Provider
A designated provider isn't a doctor. Medical cannabis patients may designate on their medical cannabis authorization form someone to purchase their cannabis product and/or grow the cannabis for them. The designated provider will also receive an exact copy of the form printed on tamper-proof paper.
To be a designated provider for a qualifying medical cannabis patient, the person must be:
- Twenty-one years of age or older;
- Named on the patient's medical cannabis authorization form.
- Have a fully completed form also printed on tamper-resistant paper. The patient signs his or her copy of the authorization form, and the designated provider signs his or her own copy; and
- Entered into the medical cannabis database and have a designated provider recognition card, if the patient chooses to be entered into the database.
For minor patients
Patients under the age of 18 are required by law to have a designated provider and to be entered into the medical cannabis database. The designated provider of a minor patient must be:
- Twenty-one years of age or older;
- The parent or legal guardian of the minor patient;
- Named on the minor patient's medical cannabis authorization form and have a fully completed form also printed on tamper-resistant paper; and
- Entered into the medical cannabis database and have a designated provider recognition card.
Restrictions
The designated provider is prohibited from consuming cannabis obtained for the personal, medical use of the qualifying patient for whom the individual is acting as designated provider, and must:
- Provide cannabis only to the qualifying patient who has designated him or her;
- Comply with the terms and conditions of RCW 69.51A; and
- Serve as the designated provider to only one patient at any one time.
A patient may have only one designated provider at any one time. If entered into the database, patients may remove their designated provider by completing the Revocation Request form (Word) and mailing it to the address at the top of the form.
Patients who would like to designate a new provider must return to their health care practitioner to get a new authorization form for themselves and the new designated provider.