Federal Way, WA Public Conduct: Public Marijuana Use (2026)
Key Facts
- Adopting section
- FWRC 6.10.030
- State statute adopted
- RCW 69.50.445
- Covers
- Marijuana, useable marijuana, infused product
- Definitions source
- Chapter 69.50 RCW first, FWRC 6.10.120
- Enforced by
- Federal Way Police Department
Summary
Federal Way enforces the state ban on public marijuana use by adopting RCW 69.50.445 by reference in FWRC 6.10.030, making it unlawful to open or consume a package of marijuana, useable marijuana, or a marijuana-infused product in view of the general public. City police cite the offense the same as any other drug statute adopted under this chapter.
The following state statutes are adopted by reference: RCW ... 69.50.445 Opening or consuming package containing marijuana, useable marijuana, or marijuana-infused product in view of general public – Penalty. ...
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 26-1049, passed August 11, 2026).
Full Breakdown
204, which sit in the same adopted list. 50 RCW first, city ordinance second, common law third, and ordinary meaning last, so 'marijuana,' 'useable marijuana,' and 'marijuana-infused product' carry the same meanings used in the state statute the city adopted. The chapter's adoption-by-reference approach means Federal Way does not maintain separately worded local ordinance text for this offense: the operative rule is the state statute itself, incorporated wholesale into Title 6 of the Federal Way Revised Code so that violating it is a violation of city law as well as state law.
Violations & Fines
Because RCW 69.50.445 is adopted wholesale under FWRC 6.10.030, opening or consuming a marijuana product in view of the general public carries whatever penalty the state statute sets, prosecuted as a Federal Way municipal offense rather than a separate county charge. Federal Way police can cite for the violation directly, and it sits alongside the chapter's other adopted drug offenses, including unlawful possession under RCW 69.50.4013.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to smoke marijuana in public in Federal Way?
Does Federal Way have its own separate public marijuana use ordinance?
What other drug statutes does Federal Way adopt alongside the marijuana rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Federal Way
Compare Federal Way to another location·View the Washington public conduct overview
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Public Marijuana Use in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle public marijuana use.