OLYMPIA, Wash. – The grace period on illegal drug possession ends Tuesday.

That means police can make arrests without referring people to treatment first.

The new drug possession law that was adopted by lawmakers earlier this year makes drug possession a gross misdemeanor.

That’s punishable by up to 180 days in jail.

It carried a provision that police had to refer drug users to treatment programs at least twice before arresting them.

That requirement ends Tuesday, August 15, but police still have the option to refer someone to treatment instead.