HB 1453 Tax Exemption for Medical Cannabis Consumers
June 6, 2024 will mark the first day HB 1453 goes into effect providing a 37% cannabis excise tax exemption for medical cannabis consumers in Washington State. This will be in addition to the sales tax exemption. That is nearly a combined 50% tax break!
HB 1453 is set to last through June 30, 2029.
EXEMPTION REQUIREMENTS
There are requirements medical cannabis consumers must meet in order to receive the exemption. They must be registered with the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) Medical Cannabis Authorization Database, holding a current Medical Recognition Card.
In addition, the medically compliant products must be purchased from a medically endorsed cannabis retailer.
READ THE PATIENT’S GUIDE TO MEDICALLY COMPLIANT CANNABIS PRODUCTS >
MEDICAL ENDORSEMENT
Of the 469* dispensaries in Washington State, only 206 are medically endorsed. Of the 206, only 153 have issued medical cards in the last year. For a dispensary to become medically endorsed, they too must meet specific criteria, including having a Certified Medical Consultant in house.
Canna West Seattle is a medically endorsed dispensary and one of the only stores with four Certified Medical Consultants on staff during all business hours.
Canna West Seattle’s Owner and CEO, Maryam Mirnateghi, has been in the cannabis industry for nearly 20 years, being one of the first to launch a medical dispensary in Washington back in 2009.
“I’ve always been an advocate for medical cannabis, which is the sole reason I got into the industry. Even though cannabis is now legal for recreational use, my mission has always been to provide safe, clean cannabis products to support those with specific health and wellness needs.”
The majority of the brands carried at Canna West Seattle are considered to be “clean cannabis”. That means they are Clean Green Certified, Dragonfly Earth Medicine (DEM) Pure Certified, Tested with Confidence, DOH compliant or the products were produced using safe biopesticides. There are three classes of biopesticides: Biochemical, Microbial and Plant-Incorporated-Protectants (PIPs).
Cannabis education has also been one of the driving forces behind the scenes at Canna West Seattle.
“Having a well educated team of budtenders allows us to offer consumers the most up-to-date information, so that they can make informed choices with their product purchases.”
RECREATIONAL VS. MEDICAL
What is the difference between recreational and medical cannabis?
Both are tested for pesticides, but medical cannabis must be pesticide free and go through the additional testing for mycotoxins and heavy metals.
Not all cannabis products are pesticide free, regardless of the general pesticide testing required by the DOH. Canna West Seattle offers one of the largest selections of clean cannabis brands in Washington, which includes DOH medically compliant products.
SB 502 Cannabis Patient Protection Act passed in April of 2015 and went into effect July 2016. This created strict rules for producers, processors and retailers who wanted to sell to medical patients. The rules were focused on product compliance, a well maintained medical database, and training and certification of medical cannabis consultants.
Washington Bud Company, a producer processor located near Arlington, was one of the first companies ever to test for DOH compliance. They have also been a staple brand sold at Canna West Seattle for nearly a decade.
HOW TO GET A MEDICAL CANNABIS AUTHORIZATION CARD
To become an authorized patient, a person must be diagnosed with one of the qualifying conditions:
- Cancer, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), multiple sclerosis, epilepsy or other seizure disorder, or spasticity disorders.
- Intractable pain, limited for the purpose of this chapter to mean pain unrelieved by standard medical treatments and medications.
- Glaucoma, either acute or chronic, limited for the purpose of this chapter to mean increased intraocular pressure unrelieved by standard treatments and medications.
- Crohn’s disease with debilitating symptoms unrelieved by standard treatments or medications.
- Hepatitis C with debilitating nausea or intractable pain unrelieved by standard treatments or medications.
- Diseases, including anorexia, which result in nausea, vomiting, wasting, appetite loss, cramping, seizures, muscle spasms, or spasticity, when these symptoms are unrelieved by standard treatments or medications.
- Chronic renal failure requiring hemodialysis.
- Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI).
If a person meets the qualifying conditions, a Washington State Medical Cannabis Authorization Form must then be completed and signed by a health care practitioner. Then they must take that form to a medically endorsed cannabis retailer and meet with a Certified Cannabis Medical Consultant. The consultant can help finalize the process, by getting the patient added into the database and producing their medical authorization card.
ADDITIONAL BENEFITS FOR MEDICAL PATIENTS CAN BE VIEWED HERE >
VIEW FULL LIST OF DOH MEDICALLY ENDORSED STORES >
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BOOK A CONSULTATION
For more information and assistance getting a Medical Cannabis Authorization Card, book an appointment at Canna West Seattle with a Certified Medical Consultant today. Email medicaladmin@cannaws.com or call 206-466-1465.
PRESS INQUIRIES
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