Following up on Friday’s post on the medical marijuana bill, there are a few additional items I wanted to comment on:
– In this AP report from Gene Johnson, I completely agree with Governor Gregoire’s comment at the end:
“She’s making a mistake,” said Morgan Fox, spokesman for the Washington, D.C.-based Marijuana Policy Project. “The letter from the U.S. attorneys says that they can prosecute, not that they will prosecute. In Maine, in Rhode Island, in New Jersey, those states all went ahead and set up dispensary system. They haven’t received any threats or reaction from federal law enforcement.”
The American Civil Liberties Union of Washington, which has promoted the state’s legislation, echoed that.
Gregoire said it didn’t matter: “I don’t care what any other state does.”
This is unquestionably true, because if the Governor actually cared about what’s happened in other states, she would know that she’s about to make the same crucial mistake that allowed California’s system to become such a mess. Because it’s a large state with a lot of patients, California was the first state to have an underground dispensary system supplying patients and striving to do it in a legal way. At the time, the Bush Administration was absolutely clear about the issue. They would go after anyone trying to produce or sell medical marijuana. As a result, the state of California balked at establishing state-wide measures, and a bill was passed that allowed cities and counties to regulate it.
Many of those cities struggled to make regulations and they ended up with situations like Los Angeles – where they couldn’t establish regulations and ended up with over a thousand dispensaries throughout the city that they later tried to shut down – and like Morro Bay, where an honest dispensary operator who had the blessing of its community was railroaded by the feds. Even today, California’s system has problems and cities are still struggling to come up with appropriate regulations. One of the reasons that the Obama Administration changed their policy to take a more hands-off approach towards the state medical marijuana laws was so that this situation could be avoided and states could be free to regulate this better. They don’t like coming right out and saying that, so when they’re asked directly about their policy, they couch their response in language that explains that they “could” go after it without making it clear that Obama has specified that they won’t. And Governor Gregoire could easily figure this out for herself simply by looking at the other states that are regulating medical marijuana at the state level using state employees (like New Mexico, Colorado, New Jersey, and Rhode Island). But as she’s clearly stated, she “doesn’t care what any other state does”. And it will be us who pays for the Governor’s willful ignorance.
– Ironically, members of the Cannabis Defense Coalition also continue to support a veto of the bill. A big part of their opposition is from late amendments that strip away some protections from being searched and arrested and from greater emphasis on having people sign up in a patient registry, which is extremely unpopular among the organization’s members. No formal vote has been taken by the group, but I’d be surprised if even 25% of CDC members want this bill to pass. With that said, I want to explain my rationale for continuing to support the bill despite these amendments.
These amendments aren’t great (and I don’t like the registry), but they’re more illogical than dangerous. In the past, law enforcement have generally gone after patients for one of three reasons: 1. Because the patient is growing for himself or herself and law enforcement is convinced that they’re growing too much for it to be for one person. 2. Because law enforcement will see a patient as an soft target to roll over on a provider. 3. Because law enforcement simply doesn’t care about medical marijuana and sees all use as illegal.
Even though the late amendment from Rep. Christopher Hurst gives law enforcement greater ability to search and arrest people, the other parts of the bill cut off much of the rationale for law enforcement to go after patients for the first two reasons above. For instance, in the Snoqualmie case, a patient like Jeff Roetter (who died of an epileptic seizure as Snoqualmie police were squeezing him to testify against his provider) doesn’t have to be at risk of being used like a pawn in order to get to a bigger fish if he’s getting marijuana at state-licensed dispensary. And for people who live in areas where growing is still very risky (like the Olsons in Kitsap county), they no longer have to take that risk.
Even if this bill were to pass, though, I’d still expect a very small number of law enforcement officials in the state to go after patients for the third reason – purely out of a belief that medical marijuana is invalid and that patients are criminals. The initial bill had fines for law enforcement officials who did this, but those were stripped out right away. This is a problem that isn’t going to go away with any bill, at least not one that could pass the legislature. There are other potential problems with the bill (and they’re listed out here), but I still think the best approach is to pass this bill and fix those problems after we get a lay of the land rather than scrap this bill and try to start from scratch again.
– Finally, the Tacoma News Tribune’s latest comedic output is here. I could write a rather lengthy post pointing out all the factual inaccuracies and flaws in their logic, but I’ve done that before and don’t need to do that again.
I just want to cut to the heart of the matter, since the major difference between the “responsible medical marijuana bill” they touted on March 10 and the “Legislature’s plans to expand medical marijuana far beyond the voters’ original mandate” they referred to it as on April 17 is that dispensaries can now be for-profit. The only other major difference that I’m aware of is the supremacy of the state regulations, something that the city of Tacoma supports and which is vital to keep Washington’s system from looking more like California’s. So the question is, why is it such a problem for a marijuana dispensary to operate for profit? And why does this expand it beyond the voters’ original mandate? I realize that the Tacoma News Tribune probably isn’t interested in serious debate on this topic, but I know there are a lot of residents down there who are, and they’re not being served by a paper that hasn’t been willing to be serious on this topic for as long as I’ve been following it.
I appreciate your views on this, Lee. I’ve been trying to sort through the new amendments and am at a loss on which way to turn. We need to put real regulations in place so dispensaries and patients know exactly what is what and how the law works so we don’t have any more cases like the Olsons or tragedies like Mr. Roetter.
What tosses my cookies is the willful obstinance of those opposed to this bill. (read medical marijuana, not just how its implemented) Water is wet, the sky is gray, and cannabis has been shown to be effective in treating certain medical conditions… It boggles the mind.
If you’re going to take an opposing view just for spite, just to prove to your opponent that you’re an asshole; take another issue. Pick taxes or light rail. Why pick one that could deny medicine to people in pain? What kind of monster does shit like that?
Yes, I know the answer to that. Our legislature is chock full of dingleberries fresh off the sphincter bus. And as long as the morally bankrupt Republican Party and its bastard spawn, the Tea Party have a corrupt and shameless sewer to draw from (ie: Eastern WA, Clark co, eastern King co, etc) we will continue to see many more of them.
Gov. Gregoire has a responsibility to those patients who need this law fixed and to those who want to help them. She also has a responsibility to the voters who approved this law overwhelmingly. May I suggest she call up her buddy Brian Schweitzer over in MT and ask for some tips on taking on the knuckle draggers.
@1
hmmmm…Democrat in the govs office, democrats run the state legislature…yet somehow you are able to blame the republicans.
LMFAO….teh gehy.
of course, its a little ironic that we have some legalized marajuana use in this country, but as of yesterday, americans cannot play poker online. so, the rest of the world played poker last night, but americans had to go to bed without supper.
right wing governors eagerly pass illegal antiabortion bills, hoping, just hoping, to get into a big old political legal fight with the feds.
liberal governors…well there aren’t that many at least not here in washington state, what we got here is a “I’m not as right as the gop!” governor who is perhaps getting ready to seek a federal job.
Requiring senate confirmation.
Meaning, you know, if she let this bill be law, she’d have to stand behind that and might lose a job.
May I suggest to all those who smoke medical m.j., why not start a web site right now, register anonymously on it, sign a petition so to speak saying “we are voting AGAINST jay inslee or any democrat who doesn’t back our bill.”
They continually get elected with our votes then shaft us. The appeals to morality and such as in @1 above are nice, but grow up, this is politics, till you have an ability to deliver or influence 500,000 votes you’re just going to be used over and over again. They really have no incentives to do anything else. Why isn’t there a a medical mj group with 100,000 or 500,000 members in it?
Too …er…distracted….to do the organizing work?
Yep, I blame the Repugs and their ilk. Many of the changes to the bill came from the Repugs, opposition to the bill comes from wingers like the Teabaggers.
Give credit where credit is due. Were progressive Democrats in charge of this, the bill would be compassionate and precise in determining fair and decent regulations for medical marijuana dispensaries.
Instead, the Repugs and Teabaggers put their stink on the bill which caused weak-willed Dems to cave. The Dems aren’t blameless but you have to look to the source of the shit.
There are sites and forums where folks who use cannabis organize. We are getting more powerful and making changes all across the country. As with any movement, we are just getting started. The trend is moving in our direction, we just have to be smart in how we go to the next level.
This issue is ours to lose – or win!
David: The amendment adopted last week that removes protections from police terrorism for any medical cannabis patient who does not choose to register his or her medical treatment decision with the state came from Chris Hurst, who is a Democrat.
@5 and 6
poor david, his TEH REPUBLIKUNS ARE TEH BOOOGEDYMEN argument goes down in flames.
partisan lemmingism..its whats for dinner.
The Obama administration is taking a “more hands-off approach towards the state medical marijuana laws” ???
You could of fooled me. Despite promises to the contrary, raids on medical marijuana dispensaries have continued throughout the country. Recently, most notably in California..Obama’s DEA have raided dispensaries in LA , Lake Tahoe, and San Francisco..
How about getting Lee to limit his diet of HA Pot Posts to a whatever is Twitable?
How long would have the Vietnam War gone on if there had not been massive protests against that war? Lots of civil disobedience was also involved in bringing an end to that mistake.
What about our state engaging in a little civil disobedience of our own to end the nutty prohibition against marijuana? Let’s defy the federal government and enact legalization of mirijuana in this state. If the Justice Department or DEA wants to start showing power, we have a National Guard unit or two who can demonstrate their combat potential to intruders from Washington, DC. I would have no problem with the governor of this state directing our own National Guard troops to protect citizens who choose to enjoy marijuana from the evil of the federal government. It’s nobody’s business what you choose to do in the privacy of your own home if it’s not damaging anyone else.
Maybe it’s time for an armed response to the pig-headed idiots in Washington, DC.
“Armed response”? Pls, be advised the NSA is now tracking your location…better hide the dope pronto….
My bad, I though Hurst was a Repug. Must be his cologne.
NSA alert @11,
I knew that one @10 would wake ’em up!
Seriously, federal drug laws in regard to marijuana are based on fear, racism, and xenpohobia. Marijuana was never a problem until young white people “discovered” it in the early-to-mid part of the last century. Then it became a big deal as the alcohol prohibition ended and the alcohol producers wanted to re-claim their market. They certainly didn’t want or need any competition from a competing substance, especially if it was something that black people and Mexicans did!
There are a lot of reasons for the hysteria about marijuana, and most of them don’t make any sense when viewed in the overall context of the “approved” drugs (alcohol & coffee). What gives the government the right to tell me what I can or can’t enjoy in my own home? As long as I’m not hurting anyone, they have no say-so as to anything I choose to do.
Oh yeah, the NSA reads this stuff from time to time. I’m sure the rank and file guys at the NSA and all the law enforcement agencies out there think that the laws against marijuana are pretty out-of-date and stupid. Marijuana is part of the culture now, and we may as well make the laws reflect that people choose to enjoy marijuana. It’s nobody’s business but their own.
‘9. Goodluck spews:
How about getting Lee to limit his diet of HA Pot Posts to a whatever is Twitable?’
Seconded.
And again, Stoner Lee, not being a medical marijuana user himself, but rather just being a plain old stoner, loses his usual credibility with his O.C.D. pot obsession. If in fact he had some sort of legitimate disease that he could benefit from MJ usage for medical use, then and only then will his fanaticism become anywhere near relevant to this issue.
On a side note, have fun trying to seek gainful employment with a reputable company while being unable to pass a drug test there Lee boy. Father of the Year you are certainly not. Time to grow up already and lay the bong to rest. Good luck!
(Cough!!)
oh yeah, i’m sure law enforcement wishes we would do away with marajuana laws so that some of them would get laid of and the others wouldn’t get to arm thenselves to the teeth and dress up in gear and go out on human safaris. yeah, they just dont want that.
@15
Actually, I did have to pass a drug test for my last job, although most tech companies don’t drug test new hires. The fact that they wanted me to do that should have been a red flag that they were incompetent.
And once I find a new company I want to work for, I’ll be making a lot of money doing a job that you wouldn’t be qualified to do. What’s it like being so much dumber than an old stoner?
Dance, monkey, dance!
@16
Damn, you’re leaving comments worth reading. What the hell happened?
@18 He must be smoking. It clears the mind (of the befogged) you know.
What the hell happened to federalism? States’ rights? Is that a complete non-starter in this debate? Republicans (and the army of lobotomized trolls) SCREAM AND SCREECH about “Big Guvmint”, then DEMAND that same guvmint enter a woman’s uterus or set fire to all the wacky tobacky. And @15, without doubt if Lee were a Californian he would have no trouble getting a MMJ recommendation, if he does have OCD more reason to expand the list of qualifying conditions in Washington to include psychological ailments.
@20
Uh, I don’t have OCD. I think that comment is what we like to refer to as “projection”. :)