Senator Plans Bill To Save Medical Pot In Washington State

[The General]

Last month, medical marijuana supporters were aghast when a legislative work group released its draft recommendation that the state repeal pot-growing rights for the sick and dying, slash possession limits, and force doctors to register cannabis patients in a state database. If enacted by the legislature, such a bill would all but eliminate Washington State's voter-enacted medical cannabis law.

But Senator Jeanne Kohl-Welles (D-Queen Anne), the state's longest-serving pro-pot elected official, says patients need to speak up before the legislature meets in January, and a hearing the state is holding next week is critical to pushing back. "The liquor control board isn't doing anything by rule," she insists. "They're not coming out with a bill."

Kohl-Welles says she will likely introduce a bill that could explicitly protect the medical marijuana law, allow home growing by patients, and encourage recreational pot stores (the stores allowed by Initiative 502, which passed last year) to sell marijuana grown specifically for medical purposes, such as low-THC, high-CBD varieties. She says that her bill, which she expects can pass, will likely include language to "tighten up" regulations on health-care professionals who authorize medical cannabis–an issue many elected officials consider a loosey-goosey problem within the current medical marijuana industry.

It may also include a voluntary registry for patients who want to avoid the steep taxes on recreational cannabis. This could allay concerns that medical pot producers will unfairly compete with the new recreational system by selling untaxed, unregulated pot. Kohl-Welles hopes to appease many factions in the often-divided medical cannabis community. Preparing people for the state hearing next week, she says, "It doesn't help to just hurl insults. It's helpful for people to provide constructive feedback." recommended. More than 400 people are expected to pack a public hearing on the proposal to gut the medical marijuana law. It is scheduled for Wednesday, November 13, at 6 p.m. at Worthington Center, 5300 Pacific Avenue in Olympia.

News Hawk - The General @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Thestranger.com
Author: Ben Livingston
Contact: Contact Information | The Stranger, Seattle's Only Newspaper
Website: Senator Plans Bill to Save Medical Pot by Ben Livingston - Seattle News - The Stranger, Seattle's Only Newspaper

 

[Dyold]

Last month, medical marijuana supporters were aghast when a legislative work group released its draft recommendation that the state repeal pot-growing rights for the sick and dying, slash possession limits, and force doctors to register cannabis patients in a state database. If enacted by the legislature, such a bill would all but eliminate Washington State's voter-enacted medical cannabis law.

But Senator Jeanne Kohl-Welles (D-Queen Anne), the state's longest-serving pro-pot elected official, says patients need to speak up before the legislature meets in January, and a hearing the state is holding next week is critical to pushing back. "The liquor control board isn't doing anything by rule," she insists. "They're not coming out with a bill."

Kohl-Welles says she will likely introduce a bill that could explicitly protect the medical marijuana law, allow home growing by patients, and encourage recreational pot stores (the stores allowed by Initiative 502, which passed last year) to sell marijuana grown specifically for medical purposes, such as low-THC, high-CBD varieties. She says that her bill, which she expects can pass, will likely include language to "tighten up" regulations on health-care professionals who authorize medical cannabis—an issue many elected officials consider a loosey-goosey problem within the current medical marijuana industry.

It may also include a voluntary registry for patients who want to avoid the steep taxes on recreational cannabis. This could allay concerns that medical pot producers will unfairly compete with the new recreational system by selling untaxed, unregulated pot. Kohl-Welles hopes to appease many factions in the often-divided medical cannabis community. Preparing people for the state hearing next week, she says, "It doesn't help to just hurl insults. It's helpful for people to provide constructive feedback." recommended. More than 400 people are expected to pack a public hearing on the proposal to gut the medical marijuana law. It is scheduled for Wednesday, November 13, at 6 p.m. at Worthington Center, 5300 Pacific Avenue in Olympia.

News Hawk - The General @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Thestranger.com
Author: Ben Livingston
Contact: Contact Information | The Stranger, Seattle's Only Newspaper
Website: Senator Plans Bill to Save Medical Pot by Ben Livingston - Seattle News - The Stranger, Seattle's Only Newspaper

You can also do this, the date has been extended to November 13, 2013 for public comment. PLEASE call, email, fax, whatever.

Draft Recommendations

A provison in Section 141 of the state operating budget directs the Liquor Control Board to work with the departments of Revenue and Health to develop recommendations for the Legislature regarding the interaction of medical marijuana regulations and the emerging recreational marijuana system. A workgroup, consisting of staff from the three agencies, has released draft recommendations which are available for download below.

Download Medical Marijuana Draft Recommendations

Please review the recommendations and send your suggestions to the below contact points no later than November 13, 2013.

The best way to provide your input is via email at: medicalmarijuana@liq.wa.gov

Alternatively
Mail
Medical Marijuana
Liquor Control Board
P.O. Box 43080
Olympia, WA 98504-3080

Fax
360-664-9689

 

[skeeterific]

Been watching this unfold for a while now.
One of my concerns, is that no one seems to be taking into consideration the entire side of medical uses that involve the raw plant in its non-psychoactive form. THCa (the raw form of THC, which is THC "Acid") is non-psychoactive until it is heated, where it is transformed to become psychoactive. On top of that, there is the ENTIRE endocannabinoid system that exists not only within Humans, but basically ALL mammals throughout the planet. We can ALL benefit from the ingestion of cannabis in its raw form in literally hundreds of "crucial to health" ways. I think there is the potential for a HUGE disservice to shortly unfold if you were to take away the ability to legally produce the needed plants in their raw form in order to consistently provide a daily "juice" of about the product of one cannabis plant that has been grown for at least 30 days in order to produce a theraputic dose.
There is an entire side of Medical Marijuana that is not even on the radar of the people that are quickly looking to restrict, control and "pimp" this truly amazing plant all in the name of power, money and control. At the very least, I would propose that there needs to be an avenue made for the plant to be able to be legally produced at theraputically significant levels for the even more significant purpose of raw (never seeing the high side of say 105 degrees, living enzymes, raw THCa and HUNDREDS of cannabinoids still intact) "juicing" that helps our bodies to successfully supplement it's failed already existing endocannabinoid system that would otherwise protect us and cure us from diseases too innumerable to list here.
Am I missing something that I have not seen here, or am I "out to lunch" on this topic?

 

[Stoned Redneck]

Thank you Jeanne for standing up for us.......You bet i have been contacting my "people"in Olympia,just like WE ALL NEED TO DO !!!!! Don't let this slide.Tell everyone that has a "Green Card" to do the same. The contact info is here....DO IT !!!! or loose your right to Medical Marijuana...Boy it sure sounded good when they first said "Lets Legalize Marijuana" ...Who could turn that down.....OOOOps Who would have ever thought it would have evolved to this !!! So lets not get too freaked..Yet.. Lets take the word to the street and let every Medical Marijuana user know that we could loose it all if we don't speak up NOW !!!!! Hang on Red.....

 

[Stoned Redneck]

Well I hope I'm wrong but its not lookin good....Last i could find was on Kiro 7 on line. It had LCB recimindations (sp?) No home grown,no Colective gardens and ect. ect. and ECT....... I hope there are a few ringers out there to save the day cause it ain't lookin too good now..Please tell me different...ANYONE??? Red