Washington Patient FAQs

NuggMD Washington connects prospective patients with state-licensed medical cannabis doctors so you can get your required medical evaluation fast, easy, and online from the comfort and privacy of your own home.

Browse our full list of patient FAQs, or contact our customer service team for one-on-one support.

It takes three easy steps to get your Washington medical marijuana card:

See your health care practitioner to be evaluated for treatment
Get a medical marijuana authorization form from your practitioner
Go to a medically-endorsed store to get your medical marijuana card
Once you have your medical marijuana card, you can shop for medical marijuana products or cultivate your plants.

If you're approved for compassionate care renewals, you can re-certify via telehealth with NuggMD.

No. Washington state does not have medical marijuana reciprocity.

As long as the recommendation is appropriate under the law, a medical practitioner can authorize cannabis use for any patient despite age.

Yes. According to WAC 314-55-150:

(1) Following are the forms of identification that are acceptable to verify a person’s age for the purpose of purchasing cannabis:
(a) Driver’s license, instruction permit, or identification card of any state, or province of Canada, from a U.S. territory or the District of Columbia, or “identicard” issued by the Washington state department of licensing per RCW 46.20.117;
(b) United States armed forces identification card issued to active duty, reserve, and retired personnel and the personnel’s dependents, which may include an embedded, digital signature in lieu of a visible signature;
(c) Passport;
(d) Merchant Marine identification card issued by the United States Coast Guard; and
(e) Enrollment card issued by the governing authority of a federally recognized Indian tribe located in Washington, if the enrollment card incorporates security features comparable to those implemented by the department of licensing for Washington driver’s licenses.
(2) The identification document is not acceptable to verify age if expired.

A Washington MMJ authorization is good for up to 1 year, depending on the treatment established by your doctor, and up to 6 months for qualifying minors.

NuggMD offers low-cost medical cannabis evaluations with no risk to you, and there’s no risk because patients who don’t qualify for the program will get their evaluation for free! Once you take your medical marijuana form to a medically endorsed cannabis store, they can charge anywhere from $1-$10 to receive your medical marijuana card. It costs $1 to be registered into the medical cannabis database, which is optional for patients (excluding minors).

MMJ cards in Washington State start at $1. However, retailers can charge up to $10. Patients are responsible for paying for all medical expenses to obtain a recommendation from their health care practitioners. The cost of medical cannabis products varies per retailer.

Since cannabis is still federally illegal, health insurance doesn’t currently cover the costs of medical cannabis treatment. Cannabis legislation is constantly changing, and Washington may revise this status in the future.

It only costs $1 to $10 to get your state card so the fee is one of the most affordable in the nation. The cost of your evaluation is separate from the card fee.

Recreational cannabis is legal for use in WA, but they also offer a medical marijuana program for patients. Both adults and minors can qualify for medical marijuana treatment in the state of Washington with authorization from a healthcare practitioner. They must have one of the qualifying medical conditions, and minors must have an authorized parent or legal guardian as a provider.

Washington recognizes the following conditions as benefiting from the treatment of medical cannabis as long as they are terminal or debilitating enough to interfere with a patient’s daily life significantly.

• Cancer,
• Chronic renal failure requiring hemodialysis.
• Crohn’s disease
• Diseases, including anorexia, which result in nausea, vomiting, wasting, appetite loss, cramping, seizures, muscle spasms, or spasticity
• Epilepsy
• Glaucoma
• Hepatitis C with debilitating nausea or intractable pain
• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV),
• Intractable pain
• Multiple sclerosis, or other seizure disorder, or spasticity disorders.
• Posttraumatic stress disorder.
• Traumatic brain injury.

Washington does not acknowledge mental health disorders as qualifying conditions for medical cannabis.

As of 2015, adding to the list of qualifying conditions authorized for medical cannabis treatment is not allowed. An addition to the list would require a change to the law.

Residents with a medical cannabis authorization but who aren't registered in the state's database can purchase and possess the same amount of cannabis as recreational users. They can also grow up to four plants for their personal medical use. Patients who choose to be entered in the state's database have the added benefits of purchasing three times the recreational limit, being exempt from sales tax, buying high-THC products, and cultivating six plants by default or up to 15 plants if the doctor recommends so. In addition, in May 2024, HB1453 passed which exempts database-registered medical cannabis patients with medical cannabis recognition cards from paying the 37% excise tax on Department of Health approved cannabis products.

You’ll receive your medical marijuana certification via U.S. mail within 7 to 10 days. Once you receive this form, you can head on over to a dispensary to register with the state and receive your tax benefit.

The state doesn't process registrations. Instead, you'll get your physician certification, take it to an authorized medical cannabis dispensary, and they will print your card out for you on the spot for a $1 to $10 fee.

Minors need to recertify at least every six months and adults at least once a year.

You can see any doctor you choose for your renewal. If you have approval for compassionate renewals, you can complete your renewal via telemedicine.

Your renewal evaluation in Washington costs the same low rate as your initial evaluation when you use NuggMD, and there’s no risk because patients who don’t qualify for the program will get their evaluation for free! Once you take your medical marijuana form to a medically endorsed cannabis store, they can charge anywhere from $1-$10 to receive your medical marijuana card. It costs $1 to be registered into the medical cannabis database, which is optional for patients (excluding minors).

With NuggMD, you are ONLY charged for your evaluation if you are approved. We believe everyone deserves access to a qualified medical cannabis doctor, and the cost of an evaluation shouldn’t be a barrier.

You’ll only be charged if you’re approved for your medical marijuana certification. If not, your evaluation is free! If you sign up and pay for your evaluation, but then cancel before your evaluation, there is a small $10 fee for the payment processing. Because paper certifications are all that is required to possess medical marijuana in Washington, once your certification has shipped, a refund is no longer available. Your certification will be good for one year and should arrive at your home within 5 to 10 business days. If you don’t receive your package within 12 days, please send an email to support@www.nuggmd.com with the subject line “Reshipment Request,” and a brief description of your issue. The first reshipment is free if the request is made within 30 days of your evaluation. Thereafter, each reshipment request will cost $20. We want to make sure you are 100% satisfied with your purchase being that you, the customers, are the most important thing to us. If any issues arise, please feel free to reach back out for further assistance.

Washington does not limit the types of medical cannabis products available. You can buy anything from flower to vapes, to concentrates, edibles, topicals and more. In addition, some medical products have received more extensive lab testing to be approved by the Department of Health. Database-registered medical marijuana patients can purchase these DoH approved products exempt from the 37% excise tax.

Learn more about Washington's cannabis laws and regulations.

You can purchase medical cannabis products at any state authorized medical cannabis dispensary. Patients can also join a cannabis cultivation collective. Any cannabis produced in the collective may only be provided to other members of the same collective.

Adults over 21 and patients not registered with the state's database may possess/purchase:

One ounce of useable cannabis
Sixteen ounces of cannabis-infused product meant for oral consumption
Seven grams of cannabis-infused extract or concentrate for inhalation
Seventy-two ounces of cannabis-infused product in liquid form for ingestion or topical use
Ten units of cannabis-infused products meant to be taken into the body

In addition, patients who have a doctor's recommendation, but who aren't registered with the state's voluntary database, may grow up to four plants and keep six ounces of their cultivated cannabis at home.

Patients who register with the state's voluntary database may cultivate six plants by default, and up to 15 plants if authorized by their doctor, and possess/purchase:

Three ounces of useable cannabis
Forty-eight ounces of cannabis-infused product meant for oral consumption
Twenty-one grams of cannabis-infused extract or concentrate for inhalation
Two hundred and sixteen ounces of cannabis-infused product in liquid form for ingestion or topical use
Patients who can cultivate six plants can possess up to 8 ounces of their cultivated cannabis at home. Patients who can cultivate up to 15 plants may possess up to 16 ounces of their cultivated cannabis at home.

Since cannabis is still federally illegal, health insurance doesn’t currently cover the costs of medical cannabis treatment. Cannabis legislation is constantly changing, and Washington may revise this status in the future.

According to the Washington state Department of Social and Health Services, "It remains a felony for anyone but a licensed retailer to sell or provide marijuana to anyone else." Members of the same collective may provide cannabis to each other, but this is the extent of gifting that is allowed.

No. It's illegal to use cannabis in public view in Washington.

No. Washington doesn't allow medical or recreational delivery.

This depends on the state to which you’re traveling. Each state has different rules regarding reciprocity, and some don’t allow it at all. Check with your destination state to learn more.

Patients who choose to be registered with the state's voluntary database may grow up to six plants by default and keep up to 8 ounces of their cultivated cannabis at home. Patients who need more than this can be authorized by their doctor to cultivate up to 15 plants and keep up to 16 ounces of their cultivated cannabis at home. Patients who don't register with the database may cultivate only four plants and possess up to six ounces of their cultivated cannabis at home. Recreational cultivation is not allowed in Washington.

A doctor may recommend cannabis to a patient at any age so long as it's medically appropriate. Patients under the age of 18 must have a designated provider and be entered into the state's database.

If a designated provider is needed, it is the patient's responsibility to find and agree with someone who can assist with their medical marijuana needs.

The designated provider for a minor must be:

At least twenty-one years old;
The parent or legal guardian of the minor patient;
Listed on the minor patient's medical cannabis authorization form, with the form fully completed and printed on tamper-resistant paper; and
Registered in the medical cannabis database with a designated provider recognition card.