(1) Certificate holders must complete a minimum of ten hours of continuing education each year in order to renew the certificate.

(2) Continuing education hours may be earned through seminars, lectures, workshops, and professional conferences. Continuing education credits may be earned through in-person or distance learning. Distance learning includes correspondence courses, webinars, audio/video broadcasting, audio/video teleconferencing e-learning, or web casts. Acceptable topics are:

(a) Washington state laws and rules relating to marijuana;

(b) Science-based information about marijuana;

(c) Addiction and substance abuse;

(d) Communication skills;

(e) Professional ethics and values.

(3) Continuing education topics may not include:

(a) Business and management courses;

(b) Health care training unrelated to marijuana; or

(c) Any topic unrelated to the practice parameters of a medical marijuana consultant.

(4) Continuing education hours will not be carried over from one reporting period to another.

(5) A certificate holder must provide acceptable documentation of completion of continuing education hours upon request of the secretary or an audit. Acceptable forms of documentation are:

(a) Transcripts;

(b) Certificate of completion; or

(c) Other formal documentation which includes:

(i) Participant's name;

(ii) Course title;

(iii) Course content;

(iv) Date(s) of course;

(v) Provider's name(s); and

(vi) Signature of the program sponsor or course instructor. Distance learning courses are exempt from the signature requirement.

(6) A certificate holder must verify compliance by submitting a signed declaration of compliance.

(7) Up to twenty-five percent of certificate holders are randomly audited for continuing education compliance after the credential is renewed. It is the certificate holder's responsibility to submit documentation of completed continuing education activities at the time of the audit. Failure to comply with the audit documentation request or failure to supply acceptable documentation within sixty days may result in suspension or revocation of the certificate.

(8) A certificate holder must maintain records of continuing education completion for at least four years.