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Wash. Health Dept. Issues New Medical Marijuana Rules
July 3, 2008

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News Summary

Medical-marijuana patients would be allowed to possess up to 24 ounces of harvested marijuana, six mature plants and 18 immature plants under draft rules announced by the Washington Department of Health, the Seattle Times reported July 2.

Law-enforcement officials had called for a limit of three ounces of harvested marijuana, three mature plants, and six immature plants; medical-marijuana advocates called for limits of 70 ounces of harvested marijuana and allowing users to grow marijuana plants on up to 100 square feet of space.

The Health Department was tasked to define a 60-day supply as allowed under the state's medical-marijuana law. Previously, the department set the limits at 35 ounces of marijuana and a 100-foot growing area, but Gov. Christine Gregoire said that was too much. The current recommendation mirrors an amendment to the medical-marijuana law passed in neighboring Oregon in 2006.

The latest Washington rules drew criticism from both sides of the issue. "This will create more patient felons in the state of Washington, because no one will ever be able to grow their own medicine and stay within those limits," said Steve Sarich, director of CannaCare. Cowlitz County Sheriff Bill Mahoney' said, "Obviously, I think it's way too much," although he added, "From an enforcement standpoint, some number is better than no number."

The Health Department will be accepting public comments on the draft rule and holding public hearings, as well.

COMMENTS ON THIS ARTICLE:

Posted by DirtBiker on 10 Aug 08 07:43 AM EDT
I think someone has been watching reefer madness again. Classic sterio typeing. The 60 day supply rule really dosn't work for every one. Some of us are dieing and don't drive, even if we wanted to. These are the people you want in prison? Some of us are trying to help others that are dieing, by helping them obtain there supply. Do you really want these careing thoughtfull people locked up next to hard core criminals? Most of us medical mj people are like me, Served my county in the military. paid taxes all my life. was gravely injured saveing my co-workers life, and now find myself on the wrong side of the federal law no matter what. Just because I was LUCKY enough to be intolerant to pain pills. Have we all looked at the side effects of MANY pills? These pills that are so safe? Nothing in life is without risk, and some of us think mj is the lesser evel.

Posted by Galan Wall on 10 Jul 08 02:29 PM EDT
i belive that 24 ounces is just right, i use medicinal marijuana for pain and several studies show that for pain u need the CBD from a plant wich only makes up 1-2% of it. on a second note as you use it your tolorance raises, most people will prolly only need an ounce a month considering what they use it for. most people with pain dont use medicinal MJ because they can get pain killers that work better and you dont have to smoke your brains out. However people like me use it as an alterinative to being sedadted 24/7. so the law is set high for people who do need alot so if they get caught up they dont have to spend days and weeks just to justify there high use. and as far as taking licenses... there are alot of people that are paitents that are simply trying to cope with there condition and they need there license. and most paitents are pretty responsible about not smoking before driving. i follow the law no smoking 4hrs before driving.

Posted by Bernie Ellis on 10 Jul 08 08:29 AM EDT
John, I would be happy to carry on our two person conversation privately. My email address is tracevu@bellsouth.net. As for medical marijuana patients having to "loose" their license because they are under the "influnce", I would urge the same caution that more debilitating (and legal) medicines state on their packaging: to use caution in driving or handling heavy machinery. I have never seen any medication prescribed which prohibits patients from driving. But if someone's driving behavior is impaired by use of any substance, they should be held accountable. Many studies of driving while using marijuana show that drivers perform more cautiously and drive slower, unlike drivers using alcohol, cocaine or other more debilitating substances. (I can provide the references if you are interested. They are readily available.) As far as raising taxes on alcohol, I'm all for that. I would also prefer that we tax marijuana, control its availability and hold users accountable for their behavior, not for what is in their blood stream. The current system benefits pushers, police and preachers -- all of whom are getting wealthy (and making our citizens more cynical) by our current policies.

Posted by John fron Oceanside on 08 Jul 08 11:32 AM EDT
Dear Bernie No I don't want to close all the liquor stores. I do want to tax alcohol, it's been decades and our youth are price sensitive. You are right about the word sober, I should have used "under the influnce". As for four ounces in a month that alot of weed. Let's break it down to a week. You know you can get about 28 nice size joints out of an ounce, at 3 joints a day they are under the influnce and should not be allowed to drive. Use your so-called medicine loose your license.

Posted by Bernie Ellis on 08 Jul 08 10:39 AM EDT
John, Thanks for your comments (I guess). But if a patient is allowed to grow a year's supply (which is about 50 ounces), that would not mean they would smoke it all at once. (They couldn't anyway.) If a physician gives you a month's prescription for Lortabs for pain, do you take them all at once? Not likely, if you want to stay alive. The New Mexico plan would allow the state to be an alternative provider of medical cannabis, which would render moot the issue of having to produce enough cannabis to last you a year. New Mexico's law would still allow patients and caregivers to grow, but they would provide a third option -- obtaining medical-grade cannabis from the state. My guess is that the state would provide patients enough to last them a month (perhaps four ounces) at a time. One last point: your use of the word "sober" is incorrect. I prefer the AA definition of sobriety -- freedom from alcohol. Of course, you might want to close up all liquor stores for fear that drinkers would consume all they could purchase at one sitting. That would be a one-time problem, as those drinkers would die of alcohol poisoning.

Posted by John from Oceanside on 07 Jul 08 10:49 AM EDT
Wow Bernie You are the first so called medical weed guy to get close to some truth. Twenty Four ounces iis way more than a 60 supply. I will state this again, if a so called patient get a recomendation for 24 ounces their drivers license should be revoked because they will never be sober enough to drive. As for New Mexico they are setting themselves as deep pockets on lawsuits if they don't revoke drivers license.

Posted by Bernie Ellis on 07 Jul 08 09:08 AM EDT
The problem with Washington's law is limiting patients to a 60 day supply. If corn were grown and stored under the same rules, we would all starve to death. Persons who grow cannabis outdoors (just like corn farmers) must harvest enough to last them for a full year between harvests, not 60 days. Otherwise, patients and caregivers are forced to spend $thousands to set up indoor growing operations in order to harvest useable cannabis more often, which would be unnecessary with a more sensible law. I prefer the New Mexico plan, with that government now working to set up a state-sponsored cannabis production facility to make cannabis available to patients as soon as they are eligible to use it, and at cost (not at the outrageous street prices charged at California's compassion clubs). Having said that, 24 ounces is closer to a six month supply for most patients, not 60 days. But it is not enough to last most patients a full year, which is how the law should be written.

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