Washington

Regulatory Framework

The primary regulatory body for cannabis in Washington State is the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB, WSLCB). The WSLCB was established on January 23, 1934 by the Washington State Steel Act of 1934, under the executive branch of the govenor.[2]

Legal Status

Market Status
Adult-Use Commercialized, Initiative 502 (2012)
Medical Legal, Initiative 509 (2009); The Cannabis Patient Protection Act (2015)
Homegrow Prohibited

Track-and-Trace

All business activity from medical, or adult-use licensees is reported through the Washington State Cannabis Central Reporting System (CCRS).

Licensing

Businesses wishing to participate in the cannabis market must obtain a license from the WSLCB [3]. The application process involves true-party of interest regulations, and facility compliance requirements outlined by the Board [4]. The WSLCB issues and recognizes several types of licenses, including:

License Type Description
Cannabis Producer Tier 1 Produce, harvest, trim, dry, cure, and package cannabis into lots for sale at wholesale to cannabis processor licensees and to other cannabis producer licensees. Plant canopy less than 4,000 square feet [5]
Cannabis Producer Tier 2 Plant canopy 4,000 square feet up to 10,000 square feet[5]
Cannabis Producer Tier 3 Plant canopy up to 30,000 square feet [5]
Cannabis Processor Process, dry, cure, package, and label usable cannabis, cannabis concentrates, and cannabis-infused products [7]
Cannabis Retailer Sale of useable cannabis, cannabis concentrates,cannabis-infused products,cannabis paraphernalia [6]
Cannabis Transporter Authorizes the transportation of cannabis material on behalf of licensees [8]
Cannabis Laboratories Performs quality assurance testing on behalf of Producers, and Processors [9]
Cannabis Researcher Performs research projects approved by a designated scientific reviewer [10]

Possession Limits

Home cannabis cultivation for personal use is currently prohibited [12]. In 2023, a bill (HB 1614) proposing limited home cultivation was not passed. [11]

Type Age Usable Cannabis Infused Products (Solid) Infused Products (Liquid) Concentrates
Recreational 21+ 1 oz 16 oz 72 oz 7 g
Medical Registered Patients 3 oz 48 oz 216 oz 21 g

Medical Cannabis

Patients must receive written certification from a registered healthcare practitioner. [13] Medical authorization allows patients to purchase products sales-tax free. Medically-endorsed stores will house the broadest variety of medical-grade products. [14]

Additional Resources

References