Background:

Regulation of marijuana.

Marijuana is classified as a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Under the CSA, Schedule I substances are characterized as having a high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use, and no accepted safe means for using the drug under medical supervision. The manufacture, possession, or distribution of Schedule I substances is a criminal offense under federal law.

In 1998, Washington voters approved Initiative 692 to allow qualifying patients to use limited amounts of marijuana for medicinal purposes. To become a qualifying patient, a person must be: (1) diagnosed with a terminal or debilitating condition; (2) advised by a health care professional about the risks and benefits of the medical use of marijuana; and (3) advised by a health care professional that he or she may benefit from the medical use of marijuana. A qualifying patient may authorize a designated provider to obtain medical marijuana and perform other responsibilities on behalf of the qualifying patient.

Qualifying patients and designated providers are protected from arrest or prosecution under state laws relating to marijuana if the individual uses and possesses it for medicinal purposes, does not exceed specified amounts, and meets other criteria. Qualifying patients may grow marijuana themselves or have a designated provider grow on their behalf. They may also obtain marijuana through collective gardens which consist of up to 10 qualifying patients who share in the responsibilities of producing and processing marijuana for medical use.

In 2012, Washington voters approved Initiative 502 which established a regulatory system for the production, processing, and distribution of limited amounts of marijuana for non-medical purposes. Under this system, the Liquor Control Board (Board) issues licenses to marijuana producers, processors, and retailers and adopts standards for the regulation of these operations. Persons over 21 years old may purchase up to one ounce of useable marijuana, 16 ounces of solid marijuana-infused product, and 72 ounces of liquid marijuana-infused product at a licensed retailer.

Liquor Control Board work group.

In 2013, the Legislature directed the Board to work with the Department of Health (Department) and the Department of Revenue to develop recommendations related to the interaction between the regulation of recreational marijuana compared to medical marijuana. The recommendations must address age limits; authorization requirements for medical marijuana; health care professional regulations; collective gardens; possession amounts; location requirements; licensing requirements for medical marijuana production, processing, and retailing; taxation of medical marijuana; and a designated agency as the appropriate regulatory entity.

The Board submitted its recommendations to the Legislature in December 2013. The recommendations relate to:

allowing 18- to 20-year-olds to have access to medical marijuana;
allowing access to medical marijuana for children under 18 years old with parent or guardian consent;
establishing a mandatory registry for qualifying patients and designated providers and issuing cards to persons on the registry;
requiring registry information to be entered by the authorizing health care professional;
allowing access to the registry for law enforcement, the Department of Revenue, and health professions disciplining authorities;
requiring the Department to define "debilitating" and "intractable pain;"
eliminating collective gardens;
reducing possession amounts from 24 ounces of useable marijuana to three ounces;
allowing qualifying patients and designated providers to possess up to six marijuana plants;
integrating medical and recreational marijuana producers, processors, and retailers into a single licensing system; and
exempting purchases for qualifying patients from sales and use taxes.

Federal response to state marijuana regulations.

Washington is one of 20 states that have passed legislation allowing the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes and one of two states that allow its recreational use. These activities, however, remain illegal under federal law. Absent congressional action, state laws permitting the use of marijuana will not protect a person from legal action by the federal government.

In recent years, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has issued several policy statements regarding state regulation of marijuana. The latest of these was issued in August 2013. In this memorandum, federal prosecutors were instructed to focus investigative and prosecutorial resources related to marijuana on specific enforcement priorities to prevent:

the distribution of marijuana to minors;
marijuana sales revenue from being directed to criminal enterprises;
marijuana from being diverted from states where it is legal to states in which it is illegal;
state-authorized marijuana activity from being used as a cover for trafficking other illegal drugs or other illegal activity;
violence and the use of firearms in the production and distribution of marijuana;
drugged driving and other marijuana-related public health consequences;
the growth of marijuana on public lands; and
marijuana possession or use on federal property.

The memorandum maintains that the DOJ has not historically prosecuted individuals in cases that pertain to the possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use on private property. With respect to state laws that authorize marijuana production, distribution, and possession, the memorandum asserts that when these activities are conducted in compliance with strong and effective regulatory and enforcement systems, there is a reduced threat to federal priorities. In those instances, the memorandum provides that state and local law enforcement should be the primary means of regulation. The memorandum, however, continues to affirm its authority to challenge the regulatory system and to bring individual enforcement actions in cases in which state enforcement efforts are inadequate.

Summary of Bill:

Possession amounts of marijuana.

The holder of a qualifying patient recognition card or designated provider recognition card may assert protections from arrest and prosecution under state marijuana laws if:

he or she is in compliance with possession amount limitations;
he or she presents the recognition card to any peace officer upon request;
he or she maintains a copy of the recognition card by marijuana plants, marijuana products and useable marijuana at his or her residence;
the peace officer does not have evidence that marijuana has been converted to the qualifying patient's or designated provider's own personal, non-medical use; and
the peace officer does not have evidence that the designated provider has been a designated provider to more than one qualifying patient within a 15-day period.

The amount of marijuana that qualifying patients and designated providers may possess is reduced from a combination of useable marijuana and marijuana product that does not exceed 24 ounces to a combination of useable marijuana and marijuana product that does not exceed three ounces.

A health care professional may approve an extraordinary amount for a qualifying patient for more than three ounces of useable marijuana but less than eight ounces. The extraordinary amount is available if the qualifying patient's health care professional attests that (1) he or she is the primary health care provider treating the qualifying patient's terminal or debilitating condition; (2) he or she has an ongoing relationship with the patient that includes regular visits; (3) alternatives to marijuana and marijuana in amounts less than three ounces have been attempted and have been unsuccessful; and (4) efforts to use alternatives to marijuana and marijuana in amounts less than three ounces are documented by the health care professional.

Until July 1, 2020, the number of marijuana plants that a qualifying patient or designated provider may possess is reduced from 15 plants to three flowering plants and three non-flowering plants. After July 1, 2020, the authority for a qualifying patient or designated provider is eliminated. By November 15, 2019, the Department of Health (Department), in collaboration with the State Liquor Control Board (Board), must report to the Governor and the Legislature regarding the need for qualifying patients and designated providers to possess marijuana plants. Using information maintained by the Department, the report shall determine the adequacy of the commercial marijuana supply as it pertains to patient distance to retailers, patient hardships regarding accessing a safe and adequate supply of marijuana, and cost as a barrier to access. The report must also include information from law enforcement about the extent to which the possession of marijuana plants by qualifying patients and designated providers has been associated with the conversion of marijuana for non-medical use.

The authority for a person who is both a qualifying patient and a designated provider to possess twice the amounts of authorized marijuana plants, useable marijuana, and marijuana product is eliminated to limit the person to the amounts for a single qualifying patient or designated provider.

Qualifying patient and designated provider recognition cards.

After May 1, 2015, qualifying patients and designated providers may apply to the Department for a recognition card. To obtain a qualifying patient recognition card, an applicant must submit (1) an application that is signed by the qualifying patient, or his or her parent or guardian if the qualifying patient is less than 18 years old, and the health care professional who signed the qualifying patient's valid documentation and (2) a copy of his or her valid documentation. To obtain a designated provider recognition card, an applicant must submit (1) an application signed by the designated provider and the qualifying patient making the designation and (2) a copy of the qualifying patient recognition card or application for a recognition card for the qualifying patient making the designation.

The recognition card must at least contain the person's name, the person's birth date, the expiration date of the recognition card, and any extraordinary amounts approved by the qualifying patient's health care professional. Designated provider recognition cards must also include the name of the qualifying patient being represented. Recognition cards expire on the date identified by the health care professional, which may not exceed one year.

If the qualifying patient is less than 18 years old, a parent or guardian must be named as the minor qualifying patient's designated provider. The parent or guardian also must have sole control over the minor qualifying patient's marijuana, except that the minor qualifying patient may possess enough marijuana to fulfill the next dose.

The Department shall safeguard the records of applicants for qualifying patient recognition cards and designated provider recognition cards. The information must remain confidential and may only be disclosed:

to peace officers to verify whether or not a person is lawfully in possession of a qualifying patient recognition card or designated provider recognition card;
to law enforcement and prosecutorial officials engaged in a specific investigation involving a designated person;
to disciplining authorities and state employees involved in an investigation of unprofessional conduct;
in an aggregated form that does not allow for individual card holders to be identified;
to prescribers or dispensers of controlled substances for purposes of caring for their patients;
to Department of Revenue employees to determine tax exemptions; and
to Board employees as necessary to determine compliance with medical marijuana endorsement standards.

Medical marijuana endorsement.

As of May 1, 2015, the authority for qualifying patients to establish and operate collective gardens is eliminated. Until July 1, 2020, qualifying patients and their designated providers may continue to cultivate their own supply of marijuana.

After May 1, 2015, licensed marijuana retailers may apply to the Board for a medical marijuana endorsement. An endorsement allows the marijuana retailer to sell useable marijuana and marijuana-infused products to qualifying patients and designated providers who have recognition cards in amounts up to three ounces, or, if specifically approved by a health care professional, up to eight ounces. To obtain an endorsement, a marijuana retailer must hold a license that is in good standing with the Board and pay a fee of $200. The Board must adopt rules for the operation of marijuana retailers that hold a medical marijuana endorsement. The rules must address the verification of the identity of qualifying patients and designated providers, the labeling of tetrahydrocannabinol concentrations and cannabinoids in marijuana being sold at the marijuana retailer, and the recording of sales to qualifying patients and designated providers to determine tax exemptions and compliance with purchasing amount limitations.

Requirements for health care professionals.

Prior to renewing a qualifying patient's valid documentation, a health care professional must complete the same physical examination and advising procedures required for an initial valid documentation. In addition to existing physical examination and advising procedures, if a patient is less than 18 years old, the health care professional must frequently reexamine the minor qualifying patient and consult with the minor qualifying patient's parent or guardian. The health care professional must also consult with other health care providers treating the minor qualifying patient before providing the minor qualifying patient with valid documentation authorizing the medical use of marijuana.

Health care professionals may not provide services related to authorizing the medical use of marijuana in any place other than the health care professional's permanent physical location of business. Health care professionals may not charge different rates for services depending upon the amount of marijuana authorized or the duration of the authorization.

The Department must convene a work group of members of the Medical Quality Assurance Commission, the Board of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery, the Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission, and the Board of Naturopathy. The work group must develop practice guidelines for health care professionals to consider when authorizing the medical use of marijuana for patients. The practice guidelines must address patient assessments, patient examinations, dosing criteria, treatment plans, patient communications, record maintenance, and other patient care issues identified by the work group.

The authority for the Medical Quality Assurance Commission and Board of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery to approve additional terminal or debilitating conditions that apply to the determination of a person as a qualifying patient is repealed.

Referential changes.

References to "cannabis" are changed to "marijuana." References to previously vetoed provisions are eliminated.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after the adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed, except for section 12 relating to possession amounts and exclusions from penalties for qualifying patients and designated providers, which takes effect May 1, 2015; section 13 relating to possession amounts and exclusions from penalties for qualifying patients and designated providers, which takes effect July 1, 2020; and section 25 relating to the repeal of sections, which takes effect May 1, 2015.