Bill > SB5700

This bill amends the existing law regarding the medical cannabis authorization database to allow the Liquor and Cannabis Board to verify excise tax exemptions. The bill maintains the existing framework for a secure and confidential database that serves multiple purposes, including allowing cannabis retailers with a medical cannabis endorsement to add qualifying patients or designated providers, enabling healthcare professionals to access patient information, and providing law enforcement with the ability to confirm the validity of recognition cards. The key addition is a new provision (subsection (g)) that explicitly permits the Liquor and Cannabis Board to verify tax exemptions under RCW 69.50.535. The bill continues to prioritize patient privacy by requiring that personally identifiable information be non-reversible, not susceptible to external linkage, and incorporate best privacy practices. The database remains confidential and exempt from public disclosure, with provisions for aggregate statistical analysis. The bill maintains existing requirements for recognition cards, including unique identifiers, photographs, authorization details, and validity periods that differ for adult (one year) and minor (six months) patients. Additionally, the bill preserves the existing $1 fee structure for initial and renewal recognition cards, which is collected by cannabis retailers and deposited into the dedicated cannabis account.

Business and Industry

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=5700&Year=2025&Initiative=false