OLYMPIA, WA – On March 10, 2025, the Washington State House of Representatives passed House Bill 1341, introduced by Representative Sharon Wylie (D-Vancouver), to enhance oversight of the state’s medical cannabis tax exemption. The bill enables the Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) and the Department of Health (DOH) to share data from the medical cannabis authorization database to verify patients’ eligibility for tax exemptions, while maintaining strict privacy protections.

Under current Washington law, medical cannabis patients registered in the state’s authorization database are exempt from the 37% cannabis excise tax when purchasing Department of Health-compliant products from retailers with a medical cannabis endorsement. This exemption is set to remain in effect until June 30, 2029.

House Bill 1341 seeks to ensure that only qualifying patients receive this tax exemption by allowing the LCB to access aggregate reports from the DOH’s medical cannabis authorization database. This measure aims to prevent potential abuse of the exemption and promote tax fairness and regulatory integrity within the state’s medical cannabis program.

The bill has now moved to the Senate for further consideration.