CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT

HOUSE BILL 1792

Chapter 379, Laws of 2019

66TH LEGISLATURE

2019 REGULAR SESSION

SALE OF MARIJUANA TO PERSON UNDER TWENTY-ONE--CRIMINAL PENALTIES

EFFECTIVE DATE: July 28, 2019

HOUSE BILL 1792

AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE

ByRepresentatives Pettigrew and Appleton

AN ACT Relating to criminal penalties applicable to licensed marijuana retailers and employees of marijuana retail outlets; amending RCW 69.50.401 and 69.50.406; adding a new section to chapter 69.50 RCW; and prescribing penalties.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 69.50 RCW to read as follows:

(1) Except as otherwise authorized in this chapter and as provided in subsection (2) of this section, an employee of a retail outlet who sells marijuana products to a person under the age of twenty-one years in the course of his or her employment is guilty of a gross misdemeanor.

(2) An employee of a retail outlet may be prosecuted under RCW 69.50.401 or 69.50.406 or any other applicable provision, if the employee sells marijuana products to a person the employee knows is under the age of twenty-one and not otherwise authorized to purchase marijuana products under this chapter, or if the employee sells or otherwise provides marijuana products to a person under the age of twenty-one outside of the course of his or her employment.

Sec. 2. RCW 69.50.401 and 2015 c 265 s 34 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Except as authorized by this chapter, it is unlawful for any person to manufacture, deliver, or possess with intent to manufacture or deliver, a controlled substance.

(2) Any person who violates this section with respect to:

(a) A controlled substance classified in Schedule I or II which is a narcotic drug or flunitrazepam, including its salts, isomers, and salts of isomers, classified in Schedule IV, is guilty of a class B felony and upon conviction may be imprisoned for not more than ten years, or (i) fined not more than twenty-five thousand dollars if the crime involved less than two kilograms of the drug, or both such imprisonment and fine; or (ii) if the crime involved two or more kilograms of the drug, then fined not more than one hundred thousand dollars for the first two kilograms and not more than fifty dollars for each gram in excess of two kilograms, or both such imprisonment and fine;

(b) Amphetamine, including its salts, isomers, and salts of isomers, or methamphetamine, including its salts, isomers, and salts of isomers, is guilty of a class B felony and upon conviction may be imprisoned for not more than ten years, or (i) fined not more than twenty-five thousand dollars if the crime involved less than two kilograms of the drug, or both such imprisonment and fine; or (ii) if the crime involved two or more kilograms of the drug, then fined not more than one hundred thousand dollars for the first two kilograms and not more than fifty dollars for each gram in excess of two kilograms, or both such imprisonment and fine. Three thousand dollars of the fine may not be suspended. As collected, the first three thousand dollars of the fine must be deposited with the law enforcement agency having responsibility for cleanup of laboratories, sites, or substances used in the manufacture of the methamphetamine, including its salts, isomers, and salts of isomers. The fine moneys deposited with that law enforcement agency must be used for such clean-up cost;

(c) Any other controlled substance classified in Schedule I, II, or III, is guilty of a class C felony punishable according to chapter 9A.20 RCW, except as provided in section 1 of this act;

(d) A substance classified in Schedule IV, except flunitrazepam, including its salts, isomers, and salts of isomers, is guilty of a class C felony punishable according to chapter 9A.20 RCW; or

(e) A substance classified in Schedule V, is guilty of a class C felony punishable according to chapter 9A.20 RCW.

(3) The production, manufacture, processing, packaging, delivery, distribution, sale, or possession of marijuana in compliance with the terms set forth in RCW 69.50.360, 69.50.363, or 69.50.366 shall not constitute a violation of this section, this chapter, or any other provision of Washington state law.

(4) The fines in this section apply to adult offenders only.

Sec. 3. RCW 69.50.406 and 2005 c 218 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Any person eighteen years of age or over who violates RCW 69.50.401 by distributing a controlled substance listed in Schedules I or II which is a narcotic drug or methamphetamine, including its salts, isomers, and salts of isomers, or flunitrazepam, including its salts, isomers, and salts of isomers, listed in Schedule IV, to a person under eighteen years of age is guilty of a class A felony punishable by the fine authorized by RCW 69.50.401(2) (a) or (b), by a term of imprisonment of up to twice that authorized by RCW 69.50.401(2) (a) or (b), or by both.

(2) Except as provided in section 1 of this act, any person eighteen years of age or over who violates RCW 69.50.401 by distributing any other controlled substance listed in Schedules I, II, III, IV, and V to a person under eighteen years of age who is at least three years his or her junior is guilty of a class B felony punishable by the fine authorized by RCW 69.50.401(2) (c), (d), or (e), by a term of imprisonment up to twice that authorized by RCW 69.50.401(2) (c), (d), or (e), or both.

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