What still needs checking
- DOH patient page returned 403 on direct open; current statutory RCW 69.51A.210 was opened and supplies medical quantity and cultivation limits.
Possession and use
Adults 21 and older may buy and possess one ounce of usable cannabis, 16 ounces of solid infused products, 72 ounces of infused liquids, or seven grams of concentrate. These are alternative product categories with state equivalency rules, not quantities to stack freely. Public consumption is prohibited, including at parks and other federal land.
Medical access
Washington recognizes qualifying patients through a healthcare authorization and stores with a medical endorsement. A recognition-card holder registered in the medical database may buy up to three ounces usable cannabis, 48 ounces of solid infused product, 216 ounces of liquid infused product or 21 grams concentrate under the statutory default. An authorized patient without a recognition card is limited to adult retail purchase amounts. A tax exemption for compliant medical products requires a recognition card, a medical-endorsed retailer and a qualifying product.
Home cultivation
Washington does not grant ordinary adult-use home grow. Under RCW 69.51A.210, a medical recognition-card holder may grow six plants and keep eight ounces of usable harvest at home. A healthcare practitioner can recommend up to fifteen plants and sixteen ounces of home harvest. An authorized patient not entered in the database may grow up to four plants and keep six ounces of home harvest. The statute caps a housing unit at fifteen plants except a registered cooperative.
Buying cannabis
A visitor need not be a Washington resident to buy from a state-licensed retail store, but must be 21 or older and present government-issued ID. Unlicensed selling is prohibited. Medical purchases that qualify for recognition benefits require the appropriate retailer endorsement rather than merely showing another state's card.
Taxes
Washington charges a 37% cannabis excise tax on ordinary retail sales, in addition to applicable retail sales tax. Since June 6, 2024, compliant products sold by a medical-endorsed retailer to a patient with a recognition card can be exempt from the 37% excise; the Department of Revenue also lists specific retail sales-tax exemptions for compliant medical sales.
Visitors and travel
The Liquor and Cannabis Board explicitly says cannabis cannot be taken out of Washington, even to another legalization state and regardless of transport mode. Visitors 21 or older can buy in-state, but should use or dispose of it before departure. Vehicle storage and impaired-driving rules also apply within the state.
Sources and remaining checks
We checked the sources below on the date shown above. Rules may have changed since then. Check the current rules before making a decision, and read the remaining questions noted in this guide.
- Using and Having Cannabis, Washington LCB. Opened October 23, 2026; possession and public-use limits.
- Buying, Selling, and Gifting Cannabis, Washington LCB. Search result read October 23, 2026; nonresident 21+ retail purchases.
- Driving and Traveling, Washington LCB. Search result read October 23, 2026; interstate prohibition and visitors.
- Cannabis Retailers Medical Endorsement, Washington DOR. Search result read October 23, 2026; 37% excise and 2024 medical exemptions.
- Cannabis Tax Reporting Guide, Washington LCB. Search result read October 23, 2026; 37% and recognized medical exemption.
- LCB Research Brief: Home Cannabis Cultivation. January 2026 official research brief; Washington adult home-grow exception.
- RCW 69.51A.210, medical quantities and plants. Opened October 23, 2026; current statute text.
- RCW 69.51A.260, housing-unit plant cap. Search result read October 23, 2026; fifteen-plant housing-unit cap.
No professional legal review is claimed. Check official sources and the verification notes below.