The decision to use cannabis for medical purposes is best made between the patient and their health care practitioner. A qualifying patient must be a Washington resident who has been diagnosed with a qualifying condition and has a Medical Cannabis Authorization Form (PDF) from their health care practitioner. RCW 69.51A.010.
Find more information about these topics on the Patient Frequently Asked Questions webpage.
- General steps to become a medical cannabis patient
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Step 1: Schedule an appointment with a healthcare practitioner who can authorize the use of medical cannabis. Unfortunately, we don’t have a list of which specific providers chose to authorize the medical use of cannabis. A list of provider types that are allowed to authorize is below. If they determine you qualify, they may provide you with a medical cannabis authorization (PDF).
- Naturopathic physician (ND)
- Osteopathic physician (DO)
- Medical doctor (MD)
- Physician assistant (PA)
- Advanced registered nurse practitioner (ARNP)
Step 2: Call a medically-endorsed store and schedule an appointment with a certified medical cannabis consultant who may register you into the medical cannabis database and issue you a recognition card. Bring your Authorization and government or state-issued identification to the appointment. The law requires you to pay a minimum $1 fee for the card. Retailers are not prohibited from charging more than $1 (RCW 69.51A.230).
Step 3: Use the card to purchase medical cannabis products excise and sales tax free.
Step 4: Repeat steps 1-3 to renew both the authorization and card before expiration.
For additional information and resources, see the program's Frequently Asked Questions webpage.
- Qualifying Conditions
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Patients with terminal or debilitating medical conditions may, under their healthcare practitioner's care, benefit from the medical use of cannabis.
A terminal or debilitating medical condition means a condition severe enough to significantly interfere with the patient's activities of daily living and ability to function, which can be objectively assessed and evaluated and limited to the following:
- Cancer, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), multiple sclerosis, epilepsy or other seizure disorder, or spasticity disorders.
- Intractable pain, limited for the purpose of this chapter to mean pain unrelieved by standard medical treatments and medications.
- Glaucoma, either acute or chronic, limited for the purpose of this chapter to mean increased intraocular pressure unrelieved by standard treatments and medications.
- Crohn's disease with debilitating symptoms unrelieved by standard treatments or medications.
- Hepatitis C with debilitating nausea or intractable pain unrelieved by standard treatments or medications.
- Diseases, including anorexia, which result in nausea, vomiting, wasting, appetite loss, cramping, seizures, muscle spasms, or spasticity, when these symptoms are unrelieved by standard treatments or medications.
- Posttraumatic stress disorder.
- Traumatic brain injury.
Humanitarian compassion necessitates that the decision to use cannabis by patients with terminal or debilitating medical conditions is a personal, individual decision, based upon their healthcare practitioner's professional medical judgment and discretion.
- Designated Providers
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A designated provider (DP) isn't a doctor, but someone the patient designates to purchase medical cannabis product or grow the cannabis on their behalf.
The DP MUST be:
- 21 years of age or older.
- named on the patient's medical cannabis authorization form.
- issued their own authorization form, also printed on tamper-resistant paper.
- entered in the medical cannabis registry and receive a recognition card, along with the patient.
- in possession of the DP recognition card to make purchases or grow cannabis for the patient.
- serve as the designated provider to only one patient at any one time.
- in compliance with the terms and conditions of RCW 69.51A.
It is illegal for a DP to consume cannabis obtained for the personal, medical use of the qualifying patient or provide cannabis to anyone other than the qualifying patient.
A patient may remove their DP by creating a patient account in the Medical Cannabis Registry and following instructions in the training guide to remove their DP.
Patients who would like to designate a new DP must return to their healthcare practitioner to get a new authorization form for themselves and the new DP.
- Minor Patients
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A healthcare practitioner may authorize the use of cannabis for any patient, regardless of age, if it is medically appropriate under the profession's standard of care. Patients under the age of 18 are required by law to have a designated provider (DP) and to be entered into the Medical Cannabis Registry.
The DP of a minor patient MUST be:
- 21 years of age or older.
- the parent or legal guardian of the minor patient.
- named on the minor patient's medical cannabis authorization form.
- issued their own authorization form, also printed on tamper-resistant paper.
- entered in the medical cannabis registry and receive a recognition card, along with the patient.
- in possession of the DP recognition card to make purchases or grow cannabis for the patient.
- Cooperatives
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Medical cannabis cooperatives allow up to four medical cannabis patients or their designated provider to join to grow cannabis for the patients' personal use.
Every member must be entered into the Medical Cannabis Registry. RCW 69.51A.250.
Cooperatives must register with the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) and follow all regulations.
Cooperative members MUST:
- be at least 21 years of age.
- hold a valid medical cannabis recognition card.
- grow only up to the total number of plants authorized listed on their authorization form with a maximum of 60 plants.
- belong to one cooperative.
- grow plants in the cooperative and not anywhere else.
- use the cannabis and its products and not sell or give away cannabis or cannabis products to anyone who is not in the cooperative.
A cooperative MUST be:
- limited to four medical cannabis patients.
- located at a cooperative member's home.
- limited to one cooperative per tax parcel.
- enclosed by an eight-foot fence, if outdoors, and cannot easily be seen or smelled.
A cooperative CANNOT be located:
- within one mile of a cannabis retailer.
- within the smaller of either:
- 1,000 feet of schools, playgrounds, recreation centers, daycare centers, or any facility restricted to people 21 years or older, or
- An area restricted by ordinances under RCW 69.50.331.
- where prohibited by city, town, or county zoning laws.
- Possession Amounts
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Recreational consumers who are not medical patients
Any adult aged 21 or older can purchase any combination of the following from a licensed retail cannabis store:
- One ounce of usable cannabis
- 16 ounces of cannabis-infused product in solid form
- 72 ounces of cannabis-infused product in liquid form, or
- Seven grams of cannabis concentrate
Recognition card holders
Qualified patients and designated providers who are entered into the Medical Cannabis Registry may legally purchase, excise and sales tax free, any combination of the following from a licensed cannabis store with a medical endorsement:
- Three ounces of usable cannabis
- 48 ounces of cannabis-infused product in solid form
- 216 ounces of cannabis-infused product in liquid form or
- 21 grams of cannabis concentrate
Recognition card holders may grow in their home:
- Six plants for personal medical use, and
- Possess up to 8 ounces of usable cannabis produced from their plants.
Growing additional plants:
If the recognition holder's healthcare practitioner determines the patient requires more than 6 plants, they may indicate on the authorization form allowance of up to 15 plants for personal medical use In this case, the patient may possess 16 ounces of usable cannabis produced from their plants.
No more than 15 plants may be grown or located in a housing unit even if multiple qualifying patients or designated providers reside in the housing unit. The only exception is for a registered cooperative defined under RCW 69.51A.250.
Authorization form holders who choose NOT to be entered into the Medical Cannabis Registry
Medical patients who have an Authorization but are not entered into the Medical Cannabis Registry may only:
- Purchase only the amounts allowed for non-patients.
- Grow in their home:
- Four plants for personal medical use, and
- Possess up to 6 ounces of usable cannabis produced from their plants.
These amounts may not be exceeded, even if the healthcare practitioner entered a higher number of plants on the authorization form.
Note: No more than 15 plants may be grown or located in a housing unit even if multiple qualifying patients or designated providers reside in the housing unit. The only exception is for a cooperative defined under RCW 69.51A.250.
Contact and Connect
Email: MedicalCannabis@doh.wa.gov | Phone: 360-236-4819
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