(1) A certificate holder must complete a minimum of 10 hours of continuing education each year in order to renew the certificate.

(2) Two of the 10 hours must be successful completion of a two-hour continuing education course offered by the department.

(3) Eight of the 10 continuing education hours may be earned through seminars, lectures, workshops, and professional conferences. Continuing education credits may be earned through in-person, distance learning, or self-study.

(a) Distance learning includes correspondence courses, webinars, audio/video broadcasting, audio/video teleconferencing e-learning, or webcasts.

(b) Self-study includes the use of multimedia devices or the study of books, research materials, cannabis industry tours or other publications. To receive credit for self-study, the credential holder shall draft and provide a one page, single spaced, 12-point font synopsis of what was learned. The time spent writing the synopsis is not reportable. Two hours of credit is allowed per report, and no more than one report may be submitted per reporting period.

(4)(a) Acceptable continuing education topics for the hours required in subsection (3) of this section include:

(i) Washington state laws and rules relating to cannabis;

(ii) Scientific research, studies, or similar information about cannabis;

(iii) Addiction and substance abuse;

(iv) Patient communication skills;

(v) Professional ethics and values;

(vi) Pesticides and chemicals in the context of cannabis agriculture; or

(vii) Qualifying medical conditions.

(b) Continuing education topics may not include:

(i) Business and management courses;

(ii) Health care training unrelated to cannabis; or

(iii) Any topic unrelated to the practice parameters of a medical cannabis consultant.

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

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

(a) Transcripts;

(b) Certificate of completion;

(c) If applicable for self-study, a type-written essay in accordance with subsection (3)(b) of this section; or

(d) Other formal documentation, which include the following:

(i) Participant's name;

(ii) Course title;

(iii) Course content;

(iv) Date(s) of course;

(v) Course provider's or instructor's name(s); and

(vi) Signature of the program sponsor or course instructor. Distance learning courses and self-study activities outlined in subsection (3)(b) of this section are exempt from the signature requirement.

(7) A certificate holder shall verify compliance by submitting a signed declaration of compliance.

(8) At the secretary's discretion, up to 25 percent of certificate holders may be randomly audited for continuing education compliance after a credential is renewed. If identified for an audit, 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 60 days may result in licensing action, up to and including suspension or revocation of the certificate.

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