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, made up of three board members under the executive branch of the govenor.[2]
The original initiative required a long-term evaluation conducted by the Washington State Institute of Public Policy (WSIPP) which most recently published a "A 10-Year Review of Non-Medical Cannabis Policy, Revenues, and Expenditures" and accompanying technical report in 2023 [16] [17]. The state auditor's office also published a performance review of the cannabis sector in October 2024 [18].
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).
WSLCB maintains various data sets available on their Frequently Requested Lists page which includes cannabis sales activity and revenue distributions to local governments [15].
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
- Wikipedia: Cannabis in Washington (state) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_in_Washington_(state)
- Wikipedia: Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_State_Liquor_and_Cannabis_Board
- Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board: https://lcb.wa.gov/
- Washington State Department of Health: https://doh.wa.gov/about-us/contact-us
- Washington State Department of Revenue: https://dor.wa.gov/
References
- [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_State_Liquor_and_Cannabis_Board
- [2] https://web.archive.org/web/20230123191042/https://www.historylink.org/File/9692
- [3] https://lcb.wa.gov/cannabis-license/cannabis-licensing
- [4] https://lcb.wa.gov/selicensing/applicants
- [5] https://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=314-55-075
- [6] https://lcb.wa.gov/node/5670
- [7] https://lcb.wa.gov/cannabis-license/processor_license_discriptions_fees
- [8] https://lcb.wa.gov/cannabis-license/cannabis-transporter
- [9] https://lcb.wa.gov/marj/testing-facility-criteria
- [10] https://lcb.wa.gov/cannabis-license/mj-research
- [11] https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1614&Year=2023&Initiative=false
- [12] https://lcb.wa.gov/marj/homegrow-study/regulatory-options
- [13] https://doh.wa.gov/you-and-your-family/cannabis/medical-cannabis/patient-information
- [14] https://doh.wa.gov/you-and-your-family/cannabis/medical-cannabis/medically-endorsed-approved-stores
- [15] https://lcb.wa.gov/records/frequently-requested-lists
- [16] https://www.wsipp.wa.gov/ReportFile/1764/Wsipp_A-10-Year-Review-of-Non-Medical-Cannabis-Policy-Revenues-and-Expenditures_Report.pdf
- [17] https://www.wsipp.wa.gov/ReportFile/1770
- [18] https://sao.wa.gov/sites/default/files/audit_reports/PA_Evaluating_Cannabis_Industry_Oversight_ar-1035550.pdf