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Get a Washington Medical Marijuana Card.
In accordance with Washington law, we may only see renewal patients via telemedicine at this time.
Quick and Easy Process
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The key benefits of a medical marijuana card in Washington
Tax savings
Save up to 37% in state taxes compared to recreational users. Save up to $666 per year based on $150 monthly spend.
Cultivation
Medical card holders can grow up to 6 plants, while non-card holders cannot grow any cannabis plants.
Higher possession
Medical card holders can possess 3 oz of cannabis products, while recreational users can only possess 1 oz.
Access to higher quality / more potent products
Medical patients may have access to higher-potency cannabis products (compared to recreational users).
Lower age restriction
Patients 18+ can qualify for a medical card.
Minors can also apply for a medical card if they have an approved caregiver.
Recreational dispensaries are available to residents aged 21+.
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How getting a medical marijuana card works for Washington residents.
1. Get a Card from Your Provider
Leafwell can only serve current medical marijuana patients. If you’re looking for a first-time medical marijuana card, see your healthcare practitioner.
2. Sign Up with Leafwell
To renew your Washington medical marijuana card, register with Leafwell on any device and consult with a licensed healthcare provider in minutes.
3. Get Re-Approved
Once approved, your provider will complete your medical marijuana authorization form, and you’ll receive the form in the mail in 7-10 business days.
4. Get a Card from Washington State
Register with the Washington State Department of Health (DoH) for your medical card. A physical card is optional but has additional benefits.
A few more questions about the process?
Watch this video to learn more about getting a medical marijuana card in Washington.
How much does a WA card cost?
Medical marijuana patients in Washington save more with Leafwell. Get your money back if not approved.
How to qualify for a mmj card in Washington
Healthcare providers in Washington may authorize medical cannabis use for any person, regardless of age, as long as it’s medically appropriate under state law. To become a medical marijuana patient in Washington, consult a licensed healthcare practitioner to see if you qualify. Leafwell can only serve current medical marijuana patients renewing their medical marijuana cards at this time. In Washington, the following conditions may qualify you for medical cannabis:
- Cancer
- Chronic renal failure requiring hemodialysis
- Crohn’s disease with debilitating symptoms unrelieved by standard treatments or medications
- Diseases, including anorexia, which result in nausea, vomiting, wasting, appetite loss, cramping, seizures, muscle spasms, or spasticity, when these symptoms are unrelieved by standard treatments or medications
- Epilepsy
- Glaucoma, acute or chronic, increased intraocular pressure unrelieved by standard treatments and medications
- Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
- Hepatitis C with debilitating nausea or intractable pain unrelieved by standard treatments or medications
- Intractable pain
- Multiple sclerosis
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Seizure disorder
- Spasticity disorders
- Terminal illness
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
Convenient, Quality Care When You Need It Most
With Leafwell, you'll be matched up with a highly knowledgeable, empathetic, licensed medical marijuana doctor or provider.
3 documents needed to apply for a Washington medical marijuana card
- Medical Cannabis Authorization Form: Once your healthcare provider approves you, you’ll receive your medical cannabis authorization form in the mail seven to 10 business days later.
- Proof of Identity: You will need a government-issued photo ID, such as a Washington driver’s license or state ID card.
- Medical Records (Only Required for Minors): During your onboarding with Leafwell, you may upload medical records supporting your qualifying condition(s). Minor patients must provide medical records to be eligible.
Next steps after approval
Congratulations on getting approved for your medical certification.
Once you’ve received your medical marijuana authorization, it’s recommended, but not required, that you join the medical cannabis authorization database. Patients and designated providers who hold valid authorizations but aren’t entered into the database may only purchase per the laws and rules for non-patients.
Patients entered into the database will also have an affirmative defense against criminal prosecution if they possess no more than four plants and six ounces of usable marijuana.
To join the authorization database, follow these steps:
- Take your authorization form to any licensed and medically endorsed marijuana store.
- The medical marijuana consultant will enter your details into the database.
- They will also take your photo and provide you with a card. There is a fee that ranges from $1 to $10.
You can find up-to-date information about medically endorsed stores here.
How to renew your med card in Washington
Leafwell can only help current medical marijuana patients in Washington at this time, which means the only process you’ll go through with us online is a renewal. Each time, the process is the same, though. You’ll still need to go through Leafwell to meet with a medical marijuana doctor about your medical conditions. You’ll also need to go to a medically endorsed retail store after you get your medical marijuana authorization in order to get enrolled in the medical marijuana database.
Legal limitation for Washington patients
Like California, Washington was ahead of the curve and legalized medical cannabis in the ’90s (1998).
Here are some other important Washington medical marijuana laws to know:
Recreational Cannabis is Legal: Washington was the first state to legalize recreational marijuana use in December 2012 with the passage of Initiative Measure 502 — just three hours ahead of Colorado.
Recreational users can possess 1 ounce of dry cannabis flower, 7 grams of cannabis concentrate, 72 ounces of marijuana-infused product in liquid form, or 16 ounces of marijuana-infused product in solid form.
Sanctions: Violating possession limits or selling cannabis without a license can incur penalties, including fines and jail time. Fines can range anywhere from $50 to $20,000. Sentences can vary from 24 hours to ten years, depending on the severity of the offense.
Taxes on Cannabis in Washington: Washington has some of the highest marijuana taxes in the country. Recreational users pay a 37% excise tax, 6.5% sales tax, and any existing local tax on cannabis products. So getting your med card is still a good idea.
Cultivation Only Allowed for Medical Patients: Cardholders registered with the voluntary-patient identification registry are permitted to grow up to six plants. If they are not part of the patient registry, Washington resident medical patients can grow up to four mature plants.
Delta-8 Products Not Permitted: CBD is also legal in Washington state. However, under Washington law, delta-8, delta-10 THC, THC-O, and other forms of what the state classifies as “synthetic THC” products are illegal for sale. Violators caught selling these products can have their licenses revoked.
How to become a caregiver in Washington
Medical marijuana patients may designate on their medical cannabis authorization form someone to purchase their marijuana products or grow their marijuana for them. The designated provider will also receive an exact copy of the form printed on tamper-proof paper.
Each patient and designated provider must have their own medical marijuana authorization form provided by the patient’s healthcare practitioner.
Minor patients (under 18 years old) are required by law to have a designated provider.
Caregiver (Designated Provider) Requirements:
- Must be 21 years of age or older.
- The designated provider is a parent or legal guardian of a qualifying patient who is under the age of 18 or a person whom the patient has designated to purchase, provide, or grow marijuana on the patient’s behalf.
- Designated providers can only serve one patient at a time.
A patient may have only one designated provider at any one time. - Designated providers must be listed on the patient’s medical cannabis authorization form.
- Have a fully completed form also printed on tamper-resistant paper. The patient signs their copy of the authorization form, and the designated provider signs their own copy.
- Entered into the medical cannabis database and have a designated provider recognition card if the patient chooses to be entered in.
Caregiver (Designated Provider) Registration:
- Submit your designated provider’s name, date of birth, and address during your Leafwell registration under the “Caregiver” section. Once approved, you will receive a copy of the authorization form on tamper-proof paper.
- Patients who want to designate a new provider must return to their healthcare practitioner for a new authorization form for themselves and the new designated provider.
Can you use a Washington medical card in other states?
Washington does not have medical marijuana reciprocity, which means you cannot use another state’s medical marijuana card in Washington. However, anyone over 21 can legally purchase marijuana products in the state.
That said, other states and territories recognize out-of-state medical marijuana cards. Washington medical cannabis cards may be recognized/used in:
- Arizona
- Arkansas *
- Hawaii *
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Michigan (at the dispensary’s discretion)
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey *
- New Mexico
- Oklahoma *
- Puerto Rico
- Rhode Island
- U.S. Virgin Islands *
- Utah * (up to two 21-day periods in a calendar year)
- Washington, D.C.
*Visitors must complete a visiting patient application with the state program.
Minor patient information
Patients under 18 can obtain a medical marijuana card in Washington but must have a parent or guardian as their designated provider.
This person acts as a caregiver authorized by the patient and a licensed physician to purchase, provide, or grow marijuana for their child or patient.
A designated provider must be at least 21 and can only care for one patient at a time.
FAQs
Check out the most frequently asked questions about the Washington’s medical card process.
How do I apply for the state cannabis program in Washington?
- Take your authorization form to any licensed and medically endorsed marijuana store.
- The medical marijuana consultant will enter your details into the medical marijuana database.
- They will also take your photo and provide you with a card. There is a fee that ranges from $1 to $10.
Can I apply for my medical marijuana card online in Washington?
Can I renew my Washington medical marijuana card online?
How often do I need to renew my Washington medical marijuana card?
What are the medical marijuana laws in Washington?
Medical cannabis laws in Washington
- 1979 - The state of Washington recognizes that there is legal defense for medical cannabis use in the case of State v. Diana.
- 1990s - Cannabis clubs established to provide cannabis to medical patients.
- 1997 - Initiative 685 to legalize medical marijuana is proposed, but fails.
- 1998 - Initiative 692 decriminalizes cannabis and effectively establishes a medical marijuana program, as it allowed physicians to recommend medical marijuana to patients with terminal or debilitating illnesses including: "chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting in cancer patients; AIDS wasting syndrome; severe muscle spasms associated with multiple sclerosis and other spasticity disorders; epilepsy; acute or chronic glaucoma; and some forms of intractable pain."
- 2015 - Washington establishes the Cannabis Patient Protection Act.
Recreational cannabis laws in Washington
- 2003 - Seattle passes an initiative to make adult marijuana possession the lowest priority of law enforcement agencies in the city.
- 2010 - Two bills are proposed, one which would have legalized liquor store sales, and the other which would have decriminalized possession of 40 grams or less of cannabis. Both bills died. Initiative 1068 is also proposed, which would have removed all state level penalties for cannabis use or possession for adults aged 18 or over.
- 2011 - Initiative 502 is introduced and received enough signatures to be sent to the state legislature. In April 2012, when the legislature adjourned without acting, the initiative advanced to the 2012 general ballot.
- 2012 - Initiative 502 is passed. Possession of up to 1 ounce (28 g) of marijuana by adults became legal under state law on December 6, however cultivation, sale and even gifting remained illegal.