Washington Patients Now Have Better Access To Medical Marijuana

By Steve Elliott in Toke of the Town

Photo: World of Work

​Starting Thursday, June 10, Washington residents with terminal or debilitating medical conditions will have better access to getting authorized to use medical marijuana, a prominent Democratic legislator has announced.

Washington's newest improvement on the medical marijuana program expands the number of health care providers who are legally allowed to recommend medical marijuana to patients, according to its sponsor, state Senator Jeanne Kohl-Welles (D-Seattle).

Until now, only medical doctors could legally authorize patients to use cannabis medicinally in Washington State. Senate Bill 5798, Kohl-Welles, now extends the ability to authorize the medical use of marijuana to other licensed health professionals who are authorized to prescribe controlled substances.

Professionals who may now authorize medical marijuana use include naturopathic doctors, advanced registered nurse practitioners, physician assistants and osteopathic physician assistants.

"Many patients rely on medical professionals other the MDs and ODs," Kohl-Welles said. "To remain committed to Washington voters' long commitment to medical marijuana for qualifying patients, we must allow additional medical professionals to recommend medical marijuana."

Photo: Senate Democrats WA

State Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles sponsored SB 5798, which expands the number of healthcare professionals who can authorize medical marijuana

​"This bill will provide real relief to those who are suffering, particularly those who live in rural areas and low-income individuals who typically see advanced nurse practitioners rather than MDs," Kohl-Welles said.

"Providing this relief honors the will of the voters who overwhelmingly approved the medical marijuana initiative in 1998," Kohl-Welles said. "It will not make marijuana more readily available to non-qualifying individuals."

"Allowing responsible health care professionals to also recommend medical marijuana -- a substance far safer and less addictive than many Schedule II opiates -- simply makes sense," said legislative analyst Robert J. Capecchi of the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP).

"Furthermore, many patients, especially those in rural areas, have limited access to physicians, so they receive their health care from other professionals, such as advanced practice registered nurses," Capecchi said. "With this important change, access to a physician will no longer be a prerequisite to obtaining a medical marijuana recommendation."

"It is always a good day when legislators and executives listen to logic and reason and pass sensible marijuana policy," Capecchi said.

"Kudos for this new law can be directed at bill sponsor Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, and the 85 dues-paying members of the Cannabis Defense Coalition, who worked to promote this low-profile legislation," said CDC spokesman Ben Livingston.

You can read the entire text of SB 5798 as it was signed into law by Gov. Gregoire here (PDF).

Toke of the Town: Washington Patients Now Have Better Access To Medical Marijuana

Washington: Marijuana Legalization Gaining Momentum

By Steve Elliott at Toke of the Town


"It's an idea whose time has come," said Douglas Hiatt, co-author of Initiative 1068, which would legalize marijuana in Washington State.

And now it's time for voters to take matters into their own hands, according to Hiatt. "This year, one in six legislators sponsored marijuana reform legislation," the activist attorney said Tuesday at a press conference on the steps of the Capitol Building in Olympia.

"And again this year, major reform did not get out of committee," Hiatt said. "So we formed Sensible Washington and wrote an initiative that removes the criminal and civil penalties for adults."

Every poll taken shows that if I-1068 gets on the ballot, it will win. Washington voters support sensible marijuana laws.

Tuesday's press conference detailed a wide and diverse array of endorsements, from former Seattle Police Chief Norm Stamper to Republican legislator Toby Nixon.

Photo: Douglas Hiatt

Douglas Hiatt: "It's time to change the law"

​Six bills were introduced in Washington this legislative session regarding marijuana legalization, decriminalization, and strengthening medical marijuana provisions.

The legalization bill, HB 2401, had a fiscal note prepared by the Office of Financial Management detailing millions in prosecution costs, not including local police enforcement. The same fiscal note suggested revenue of $300 million would be created by legalizing and taxing cannabis.

Nationally, the Obama Administration, through Attorney General Eric Holder, has told federal prosecutors to stand down on medical marijuana "because we don't want a war on our citizens."

According to Sensible Washington, ending marijuana prohibition is comparable to ending the prohibition on alcohol. Washington was the 25th state to ratify the 21st Amendment, on Oct. 3, 1933.

Seventy-seven years later, we've had four Presidents who admitted marijuana use, along with dozens of Olympic athletes, thousands of artists, and millions of ordinary people -- all of whom are considered criminals under current law.

"It's time to change the law," Hiatt said.

Graphic: photobucket.com

​An Angus Reid poll conducted Dec. 3-4 showed that 68 percent of Americans believe the "War On Drugs" is a failure. Nationally, 53 percent support legalization.

In Washington, Survey USA's poll for KING-TV showed support for marijuana legalization is even stronger: 56 percent of respondents said legalizing cannabis is a good idea. Outside Seattle, there is strong support even in Eastern Washington, traditionally considered the "conservative" end of the state, with a majority, 52 percent, supporting pot legalization.

"Washington citizens have embraced common-sense, pragmatic reform, time and again," said Sensible Washington's Cindi Laws, "leading an unwilling government in numerous progressive reforms, from public power to public disclosure of campaign finance, increases in the minimum wage, reduction in toxics and nuclear waste, to legalization of abortion, medical marijuana, and the control of one's own death."

Volunteers are gathering signatures to qualify for November's ballot. The magnitude of the effort is huge. A single volunteer signature gatherer can get about 20 signatures an hour, on a good day, on an issue with broad public support.

Marijuana legalization has that broad support, but to gather the 300,000 or so signatures required to qualify for the ballot takes many hours, much coordination, and plenty of help. Campaign support and coordination of volunteers takes money.

Supporters can help get Initiative 1068 onto the ballot in November, first by signing it (here are locations where you can sign), and then by donating at:

Sensible Washington: Donate

Download the I-1068 Petition (PDF)

Donwload the I-1068 Poster (PDF)

Is The Washington Legislature Really 'Too Busy' To Protect Medical Marijuana Patients?

Artwork: Jimmy Wheeler

The late Jimmy Wheeler, a medical marijuana patient in Washington, created this artwork. Now a proposed patient protection bill will be named in his honor.

​By Steve Elliott at Toke of the Town

As most medical marijuana patients in the state already know, the current medical marijuana law in Washington doesn't protect patients from search, arrest or prosecution.

The recent Washington Supreme Court ruling in State v. Fry further highlighted how little protection -- as in almost none! -- the current law gives "legal" patients.

Medical marijuana activists Ken Martin and Steve Sarich of patient advocacy group CannaCare contacted every Senator and Representative in Washington at the beginning of the current 2010 legislative session, attempting to find a sponsor for their new bill that would finally offer legal patients protection from arrest and prosecution.

"We could not find a single sponsor for this bill," Sarich told Toke of the Town. "Those I actually spoke with told me they were 'too busy' this session."

"This made us curious about what, exactly, these legislators were so busy working on (besides new taxes on just about everything)," Sarich said. "What we found amazed us."

"Here are just a few of the bills that our legislators believed were more important than protecting sick and dying patients in Washington," Sarich said.

XB 6255
Concerning mute swans.

SB 5192
Allowing dogs in bars.

SB 6207
Allowing local governments to create golf cart zones.

SB 6284
Recognizing Leif Erickson day.

HB 1024
Designating Aplets and Cotlets as the state candy.

XB 6128
Concerning taxation of little cigars.

HB 1137
Protecting landowners' investments in Christmas trees.

SB 5011
Prohibiting the sale or distribution of certain novelty lighters.

HB 1638
Concerning colon hydrotherapy.

HB 1993
Allowing fishing license holder to use two poles in selected state waters.

"Perhaps these bills are truly important to some people," Sarich allowed. "That said, I think it's insulting to tell patients that making Aplets and Cotlets the official state candy is more important than keeping patients from being searched, arrested and prosecuted."

Medical Marijuana Lobby Day: Wednesday, February 24


"It's time to send the message to our elected officials, and Medical Marijuana Lobby Day is the opportunity to do that!" Sarich said. "Show up and have your voice be heard."

"We are gathering at 1 p.m. on the north stairs of the Legislative Building," Sarich said. "We'll have white booths there with literature, posters and special medical marijuana patient scarves with buttons that say "STOP ARRESTING PATIENTS."

According to Sarich, the goal is to educate legislators, "let them know we are voters and activists," to to gather legislative sponsors for the "Patient Protection Act" for the 2011 legislative session.

"The bill will be named the 'Jimmy Wheeler Memorial Patient Protection Act' in honor of my friend and longtime activist who was providing medical marijuana to patients before there there was legal medical marijuana," Sarich said.

"Jimmy died recently without ever seeing patients free from arrest and prosecution in his lifetime," Sarich said. "Please ask yourself how many more of us have to die before they realize we are not criminals."

"How many patients need to be persecuted before our elected officials provide us with the same protections offered to the rest of the disabled and terminally ill patients in this state?" Sarich asked. "I'm tired of being a second class citizen!"

"We will do our best to arrange transportation for you to this historic event," Sarich said.

For more information, contact Ken Martin at (509) 235-5485 or Steve Sarich at (206) 407-3017.

Washington Legislature Drops The Ball (Again) On Marijuana Decrim

Never mind what the people of Washington want. The Legislature thinks pot is just too scary.

​By Steve Elliott at Toke of the Town

​Cowardly career politicians, out of touch with their own constituents and terrified of being branded "soft on drugs," have once again dropped the ball on decriminalizing marijuana.

Senate Bill 5615, which would have freed up Washington's criminal justice resources by making adult possession of small amounts of marijuana an infraction carrying a fine, rather than a misdemeanor carrying mandatory jail time, failed to get a vote in the Washington State Senate Tuesday.

"This means efforts to address adult marijuana use through a civil, public health approach, rather than a failed criminalization approach, have died for the 2010 legislative session," said Alison Holcomb, drug policy director, ACLU of Washington.

"The ACLU of Washington is disappointed by the Legislature's failure to pass this bill despite strong and consistent public support for it," Holcomb said.

"An overwhelming majority of Washington voters support the modest change proposed by SB 5615 -- a change already made in 13 other states, 11 of them as long ago as the 1970s, with no adverse impact," Holcomb said.

According to Holcomb, studies in those states demonstrate no increase in marijuana use among adults or youth, results echoed in jurisdictions like Seattle, where adult marijuana possession has been the lowest law enforcement priority since 2003.

"In 2008, police and prosecutors filed 12,428 cases involving misdemeanor marijuana possession by adults in Washington courts -- using funds that would be far better spent addressing other priorities, including violent crime," Holcomb pointed out.

"The Washington State Office of Financial Management estimated that SB 5615 and its companion HB 1177 would have made approximately $15-16 million in scarce public safety dollars available to combat true public safety threats, and would have directed significant resources to sorely needed, state-funded treatment and protection services," Holcomb said.

"We applaud Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, prime sponsor of SB 5615, for her tireless efforts to advocate for sensible reforms grounded in reason, science, and fiscal responsibility," Holcomb said. "And we hope our Legislature will get the electorate's message in 2011 and pass marijuana decriminalization legislation."

"It's time to stop wasting money on arresting and jailing adults for marijuana use and invest instead in proven prevention and treatment programs," Holcomb said.

Washington Lawmakers Snuff Out Marijuana Legalization Bill

By Steve Elliott in Toke of the Town

​

If marijuana is going to be legalized in Washington this year, it will have to be the voters who do it -- because the Legislature won't.

The House Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Committee is expected to vote down bills dealing with legalization and decriminalization of marijuana, reports Jerry Cornfield at the Everett Herald Net.

Rep. Chris Hurst, chairman of the public safety panel, told Cornfield there aren't enough votes to move either bill out of committee.

While amendments to either bill or both could be proposed Wednesday, Hurst said he doesn't believe enough minds will change to alter the outcome.

With five Democrats and three Republicans on the committee -- and two of the Democrats (Hurst and Rep. Al O'Brien, D-Mountalke Terrace) being former cops, with both saying they will oppose the bills -- neither will likely make it out of committee.

Hurst said votes could have been taken last week at the end of a two-hour hearing on the legislation. Sponsors of the bills asked for time to consider possible changes, in response to criticisms raised in the hearing.

Hurst claims he's pushing to get the matter resolved (as in, hurry up and get these bills killed) to give backers of a voter initiative for marijuana legalization "a clear field" on which to wage their battle.

Many observers of the Washington state political scene believe that blame for the marijuana bills are once again dying in the Legislature due may be rightly placed on Speaker of the House Frank Chopp.

According to multiple, well-placed sources (both inside the Legislature and those observing), Chopp, through a lack of political will and leadership, is the legislator most responsible for the death of marijuana decrim in the last session as well.

A reliable inside source, in a position to know, tells Toke of the Town Chopp doesn't want to force a "controversial" marijuana decrim vote by the entire Legislature, because he doesn't want to force fellow Democrats (in the majority) to vote on pot any time before the 2010 elections.

Chopp's leadership style, or lack thereof, has been a growing source of controversy within progressive Democrats for some time now. Over and over, you see Chopp described as "the most powerful politician in the state," but you'd never guess it from his unwillingness to go out on a limb, to take a stand, to have a backbone.

A Washington State Senate bill decriminalizing marijuana is still alive, though no hearings on it have been scheduled as of Tuesday morning.