Washington Medical Marijuana Card Legislation
Medical marijuana in Washington was legalized in 1998 with the Medical Use of Marijuana Act, or Initiative 692. This act specified that patients with certain debilitating conditions, terminal illnesses, or intractable pain can use medical marijuana. I-692 also gave legal protections to qualifying medical marijuana patients and their caregivers for the possession and consumption of medical marijuana.
In 2012 the Washington Marijuana Legalization and Regulation Initiative, known as Initiative 502 was passed. This act legalized marijuana-use and possession for adults 21 and older, while creating the infrastructure for the state’s cannabis industry, production, and sales of adult-use marijuana. Soon after, the Washington Legislature passed SB 5052 or the Cannabis Patient Protection Act (CPPA), creating regulations for local marijuana businesses extending from production of marijuana to the use of medical marijuana.
Washington Medical Marijuana Card Cultivation & Possession Laws
Washington medical marijuana card holders may purchase and possess up to 3 ounces of marijuana, 48 ounces of marijuana-infused products in solid form, 1.69 gallons of marijuana-infused products in liquid-form or 21 grams of marijuana concentrate. Adults 21 and older in a single day may purchase up to 1 ounce of usable marijuana, 16 ounces of cannabis-infused edibles in solid form, 72 fluid ounces of cannabis in liquid form, and 7 grams of cannabis concentrates. Cultivation of adult-use marijuana on private property is illegal, even for personal use, although Washington medical marijuana card holders can cultivate 6 marijuana plants and have 8 ounces of usable marijuana in their residential home. A licensed health-care practitioner may allow authorization for patients of up to 15 plants or up to 16 ounces of usable marijuana produced from their own marijuana plants.