Marijuana is legal in Washington for adults 21 and older, with licensed recreational sales available throughout the state. Adults may possess up to 1 ounce of usable marijuana, along with separate limits for concentrates, edibles and liquid products.
Unlike most states with legal recreational marijuana, however, Washington does not allow adults to grow marijuana at home unless they are qualified medical marijuana patients or designated providers.
This page covers Washington marijuana possession limits, legal sales, home cultivation, medical marijuana, taxes, delivery, public consumption and penalties. For laws in other states, visit The Marijuana Herald’s Marijuana Laws by State guide.
Last updated: September 2026
Washington Marijuana Laws at a Glance
| Category | Washington Law |
|---|---|
| Recreational marijuana legal? | Yes |
| Minimum age | 21 |
| Adult possession limit | 1 ounce of usable marijuana |
| Concentrate possession limit | 7 grams |
| Solid marijuana-infused products | 16 ounces |
| Liquid marijuana-infused products | 72 ounces, with a separate rule for certain low-dose beverages |
| Recreational retail sales | Legal |
| Recreational home cultivation | No |
| Medical marijuana program | Yes |
| Medical home cultivation | 4 plants with authorization but no registry card; generally 6 plants with a recognition card, up to 15 if authorized |
| Public consumption | Illegal |
| Recreational delivery | No |
| Adult-to-adult sharing | Limited amounts may be given without payment |
| Recreational marijuana tax | 37% marijuana excise tax plus applicable sales tax |
| Medical marijuana tax benefit | Qualifying purchases by recognition cardholders are exempt from marijuana excise and sales taxes |
Is Marijuana Legal in Washington?
Yes. Recreational marijuana is legal in Washington for adults 21 and older.
Washington voters approved Initiative 502 in November 2012, making the state one of the first two in the country, along with Colorado, to legalize recreational marijuana.
Licensed recreational marijuana stores began operating in 2014.
Adults may purchase marijuana from licensed retailers and possess marijuana within the state’s product-specific limits.
Legalization does not allow marijuana use everywhere. Public consumption remains prohibited, recreational home cultivation is illegal, and marijuana remains subject to restrictions involving vehicles, federal property, workplaces and rental housing.
More information is available through the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board.
How Much Marijuana Can You Possess in Washington?
Adults 21 and older may purchase and possess up to:
- 1 ounce of usable marijuana
- 7 grams of marijuana concentrate
- 16 ounces of marijuana-infused products in solid form
- 72 ounces of marijuana-infused products in liquid form
Washington also has a separate limit for certain low-dose marijuana beverages packaged in individual units containing no more than 4 milligrams of THC. For those products, the limit is 200 milligrams of THC.
These limits apply to recreational consumers. Registered medical marijuana patients can qualify for substantially higher purchase and possession limits.
Can You Buy Recreational Marijuana in Washington?
Yes. Adults 21 and older may purchase marijuana from businesses licensed by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board.
Customers must provide valid identification showing they are at least 21.
Licensed retailers may sell flower, concentrates, edibles, beverages, vape products and other marijuana products that comply with state testing, packaging and labeling requirements.
Retailers may accept online reservations for pickup, but the marijuana transaction must be completed at the licensed retail premises. Washington does not currently allow licensed recreational marijuana retailers to ship or deliver products directly to consumers.
Can You Grow Marijuana at Home in Washington?
Not for recreational purposes.
Washington is unusual among states with legal recreational marijuana because adults cannot legally cultivate marijuana at home simply because they are 21 or older.
The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board states that home cultivation is allowed only for qualified medical marijuana patients or designated providers with a valid medical authorization.
Growing even a small number of plants for nonmedical recreational use remains illegal under state law.
Medical marijuana patients are subject to separate cultivation limits.
Is Medical Marijuana Legal in Washington?
Yes. Washington has maintained a medical marijuana system since voters approved Initiative 692 in 1998.
The program is currently overseen by the Washington State Department of Health, while marijuana businesses are regulated by the Liquor and Cannabis Board.
Qualifying patients receive a medical marijuana authorization from an eligible healthcare practitioner.
Patients can choose to be entered into the state’s Medical Cannabis Registry and receive a recognition card. Registration is not mandatory, but patients with a recognition card receive significantly stronger benefits and protections.
More information is available through the Washington State Department of Health Medical Cannabis Program.
What Conditions Qualify for Medical Marijuana in Washington?
Washington allows medical marijuana for patients with certain terminal or debilitating medical conditions.
Qualifying conditions include:
- Cancer
- HIV
- Multiple sclerosis
- Epilepsy or other seizure disorders
- Spasticity disorders
- Intractable pain that is not relieved by standard treatments or medications
- Glaucoma that is not relieved by standard treatments or medications
- Crohn’s disease with debilitating symptoms
- Hepatitis C with debilitating nausea or intractable pain
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Traumatic brain injury
Certain diseases that cause symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, wasting, appetite loss, cramping, seizures, muscle spasms or spasticity may also qualify when those symptoms are not relieved by standard treatments or medications.
A qualifying healthcare practitioner must determine that the patient meets Washington’s requirements.
What Are the Benefits of a Washington Medical Marijuana Recognition Card?
Being entered into Washington’s Medical Cannabis Registry provides several important benefits.
Recognition cardholders may purchase up to three times the normal recreational limits from medically endorsed marijuana retailers.
That means a registered patient or designated provider may purchase and possess up to:
- 3 ounces of usable marijuana
- 21 grams of marijuana concentrate
- 48 ounces of marijuana-infused products in solid form
- 216 ounces of marijuana-infused products in liquid form
Recognition cardholders can also make qualifying medical marijuana purchases without paying Washington’s 37% marijuana excise tax or retail sales tax.
Other benefits include stronger legal protections, access to certain medical-grade and higher-THC products, participation in registered medical marijuana cooperatives and the ability to purchase immature plants, clones or seeds from licensed producers.
Can Medical Marijuana Patients Grow at Home in Washington?
Yes.
Washington provides different cultivation limits depending on whether a patient is entered into the Medical Cannabis Registry.
A qualified patient with a valid medical marijuana recognition card may generally grow:
- 6 marijuana plants for personal medical use
The patient may also possess up to 8 ounces of usable marijuana produced from those plants.
If a healthcare practitioner determines that the patient’s medical needs require more, the practitioner may authorize the patient to grow up to:
- 15 marijuana plants
A patient authorized for the higher plant limit may possess up to 16 ounces of usable marijuana produced from those plants.
Patients who have a valid medical marijuana authorization but choose not to enter the Medical Cannabis Registry may grow up to four plants and possess up to 6 ounces of usable marijuana produced from those plants.
Generally, no more than 15 plants may be located in a single housing unit, even when multiple qualifying patients or designated providers live there. Registered medical marijuana cooperatives are subject to separate rules.
Can Medical Marijuana Patients Buy Plants and Seeds?
Yes, under certain circumstances.
Qualifying patients and designated providers who are entered into the Medical Cannabis Registry and have valid recognition cards may purchase immature marijuana plants, clones and seeds directly from licensed marijuana producers that offer them.
These sales are not available to ordinary recreational consumers.
How Is Recreational Marijuana Taxed in Washington?
Washington imposes one of the country’s highest marijuana excise tax rates.
A 37% marijuana excise tax applies to retail sales of usable marijuana, marijuana concentrates and marijuana-infused products.
Applicable state and local retail sales taxes are imposed in addition to the 37% excise tax.
As a result, the total tax charged on a recreational marijuana purchase varies depending on the location of the retailer.
Qualified patients with recognition cards receive an important benefit: qualifying purchases from medically endorsed marijuana retailers are exempt from both the 37% marijuana excise tax and retail sales tax.
More information is available from the Washington State Department of Revenue.
Can Marijuana Be Delivered in Washington?
No. Washington does not currently allow licensed marijuana retailers to deliver recreational marijuana directly to consumers.
Retailers may allow customers to reserve products online for pickup, but payment and the sale must take place at the licensed store.
The Liquor and Cannabis Board specifically warns that websites offering to ship or deliver recreational marijuana directly to Washington consumers are not operating under the state’s legal retail system.
Licensed transportation between authorized marijuana businesses is allowed, but that is separate from consumer delivery.
Can You Give Marijuana to Another Adult in Washington?
Yes, within limits.
Washington allows adults 21 and older to give marijuana to other adults 21 and older without payment.
During a single 24-hour period, an adult may give another adult up to:
- One-half ounce of usable marijuana
- 3.5 grams of marijuana concentrate
- 8 ounces of marijuana-infused products in solid form
- 36 ounces of marijuana-infused products in liquid form
For certain low-dose liquid products packaged in units containing no more than 4 milligrams of THC, the limit is 100 milligrams of THC.
The transfer must be noncommercial and cannot be conditioned on payment or other financial consideration.
The transfer must also occur outside public view in a nonpublic place, unless the product remains in its original retail packaging.
Selling marijuana without a license remains illegal.
Can You Use Marijuana in Public in Washington?
No.
Washington prohibits opening a package of marijuana or consuming marijuana in view of the general public or in a public place.
That includes smoking, vaping, eating or otherwise consuming marijuana in places such as:
- Public sidewalks
- Streets
- Parks
- Restaurants
- Concert venues
- Other places open to the general public
A violation is a class 3 civil infraction. Under Washington law, a class 3 civil infraction carries a maximum and default penalty of $50, not including additional statutory assessments.
Marijuana also remains illegal on federal land, including national parks and other federally controlled property.
Can You Have Marijuana in a Vehicle in Washington?
Yes, but Washington restricts how marijuana may be transported in a vehicle.
Marijuana may generally be kept in a vehicle if it is:
- In the trunk
- In another area that is not normally occupied or directly accessible by the driver or passengers when the vehicle does not have a trunk
- In its original package or container with the seal unbroken and the contents not partially removed
A glove compartment or utility compartment does not qualify as an inaccessible storage area.
Consuming marijuana in a vehicle while it is on a public highway is illegal for drivers and passengers.
Driving while impaired by marijuana is also illegal regardless of whether the marijuana was legally purchased or possessed.
Can Employers Ban Marijuana Use in Washington?
Yes.
Legalization does not generally require Washington employers to allow marijuana use or possession in the workplace.
Employers may establish drug-free workplace policies and prohibit employees from using or possessing marijuana while working or on company property.
Federal contractors and employers subject to federal requirements may face additional restrictions because marijuana remains illegal under federal law.
Can Landlords Ban Marijuana Use or Growing?
Landlords and property owners may establish restrictions concerning marijuana use on their property.
A landlord may prohibit smoking or other marijuana consumption in a rental property through the terms of a lease.
Because recreational home cultivation is already illegal in Washington, renters cannot grow recreational marijuana regardless of landlord policy.
Qualified medical marijuana patients who are otherwise legally authorized to cultivate should review their lease and applicable housing rules before growing plants on rented property.
Federal housing is subject to federal marijuana laws and may prohibit marijuana even when the activity would otherwise be allowed under Washington law.
What Are the Penalties for Illegal Marijuana Possession in Washington?
Adults 21 and older may legally possess marijuana within Washington’s statutory limits.
Possessing more than those limits can result in criminal penalties.
For usable marijuana flower:
- Possession of up to 1 ounce is legal for adults 21 and older.
- Possession of more than 1 ounce but no more than 40 grams without another legal authorization can constitute a misdemeanor.
- Unauthorized possession above 40 grams can fall under Washington’s controlled-substance possession statute and may be treated as a gross misdemeanor.
Different limits apply to concentrates and marijuana-infused products, and exceeding those limits may also result in criminal charges.
Possession with intent to illegally sell or distribute marijuana can result in substantially more serious charges than simple possession.
People younger than 21 generally may not knowingly possess marijuana, marijuana concentrates or marijuana-infused products, although qualifying medical patients with valid authorization are exempt from that prohibition.
What Are the Penalties for Growing Marijuana at Home?
Recreational home cultivation remains illegal in Washington.
Adults do not receive a recreational plant allowance simply because possession and retail purchases are legal.
Growing marijuana outside the medical marijuana system may constitute unlawful manufacture under Washington’s controlled-substance laws and can expose a person to criminal penalties.
Qualified medical marijuana patients and designated providers are protected only when they remain within the cultivation limits and other requirements of Washington’s medical marijuana laws.
When Did Washington Legalize Marijuana?
Washington voters approved Initiative 502 on November 6, 2012.
The initiative legalized possession of limited amounts of marijuana for adults 21 and older and established the framework for a state-regulated commercial marijuana market.
Licensed recreational marijuana stores began opening in July 2014.
Washington had already legalized medical marijuana years earlier, when voters approved Initiative 692 in 1998.
The state’s marijuana laws have continued to evolve since legalization, including expanded adult-to-adult sharing provisions and tax exemptions for registered medical marijuana patients.
Official Sources
- Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board: Using and Having Cannabis
- Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board: Growing Cannabis at Home
- Washington State Department of Health Medical Cannabis Program
- Washington Medical Cannabis Information for Patients
- Washington Revised Code Chapter 69.50
