Pubdate: Tue, 9 Jun 2009
Source: Federal Way Mirror (WA)
Copyright: 2009 Sound Publishing
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/Sk6rBdu0
Website: http://www.fedwaymirror.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2077
Author: Andy Hobbs, Federal Way Mirror Editor	
Referenced: Washington State Department of Health 
http://www.doh.wa.gov/hsqa/medical-marijuana/FAQs.htm#NextFAQ
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Marijuana - Medicinal)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/people/Douglas+Hiatt

MEDICAL MARIJUANA IN WA: PUSHING THE LEGAL LIMITS

Part 1 of Series

En route to a patient's house, "Bob" whips out a sack of candy that 
smells like pot.

The plastic bag contains chocolates wrapped in fluorescent foil, 
along with a tiny clear cup of caramel - all infused with the active 
ingredients of marijuana.

As a medical marijuana patient, Bob treats pain caused by a past head 
injury and hepatitis C, among other ailments. He also suffers from 
grand mal seizures. "I'm in a lot of pain," he said.

The caramel, with a shiny purple star on the lid, provides multiple 
doses of medicine. So does an oatmeal cookie about the size of a hand 
- - "that's 10 good doses for me right there," said Bob, who asked that 
a pseudonym be used for this report.

The Federal Way resident embraced medical marijuana about six years 
ago and entered another side of the cannabis culture. Patients refer 
to themselves as patients. Slang terms and stoner jokes are 
noticeably absent. Medication is a personal matter for patients, but 
also a mission. Most patients join an informal collective community 
of sorts, where sick people seek relief from one another through marijuana.

Doctors can't prescribe medical marijuana, but they can recommend it. 
Patients need a qualifying condition, which includes AIDS, hepatitis 
C, Crohn's disease, cancer or fibromyalgia, among others. With a 
recommendation, patients gain access to a cooperative network of 
inconspicuous clinics that supply marijuana. Patients must provide 
medical records before learning a clinic's location. Patients can 
choose caregivers who are also allowed to retrieve medicine.

"If someone invented marijuana, they'd get a Nobel Prize because it's 
a miracle drug, although most people don't understand that," Bob 
said. "I have seen that stuff help wounds...there's some creams I put 
on sores, and my sores healed up so fast it was unbelievable."

In 1998, Washington state voters approved a law that removed criminal 
penalties and established a defense for qualified patients who 
possess or cultivate cannabis for medicinal use.

In 2008, the "60-day" supply for patients was defined as 24 ounces 
and 15 plants; both numbers have attracted intense debate from 
medical marijuana advocates. The law allows patients to exceed these 
limits if the patient can prove medical need, according to the 
Washington State Department of Health.

Technically, the cannabis clinics are illegal. Federal law classifies 
marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug, in the same league as heroin. 
Washington's medical marijuana laws help patients with a legal 
defense in local or state courts. Federal laws ultimately trump state 
laws, however, and do not recognize the medical use of marijuana. 
Anyone found in violation could still be prosecuted under federal laws.

Tight-Lipped Patients

Despite legal protections, most patients keep a low profile under 
fear of being arrested by law enforcement or robbed by thieves.

Over the years, Bob has been involved with medical marijuana clinics 
in the area. One clinic is housed in a non-descript office complex, 
tucked inside an eclectic Seattle neighborhood.

A friend of his runs the clinic, which is registered to a medical 
marijuana advocacy group. The friend handles the finances, but the 
lease is in Bob's name. Inside the tiny room, there's a desk and 
several couches. Hand-written posters alert patients to the clinic's 
hours and rules. A slate-colored safe that's out of sight contains 
several boxes of baggies, each filled with about an ounce of 
marijuana buds. The fragrant baggies bear a tag with the clinic's 
name and logo. Patients are not allowed to medicate on the premises.

In West Seattle, one of Bob's fellow patients and clinic supporters 
was the target of a home-invasion robbery in mid-May. The patient 
lost plants and cash to the thieves, but still had a few young plants 
growing under lights in the basement. The sweet smell of marijuana 
permeates this non-descript middle-class home. Two water pipes - also 
known as bongs - sit in the front room, along with a tray of crumbled 
cannabis, a mini-baggie of Chicklets-style green gum, and a couple of 
prescription bottles containing marijuana. The patient suffers from 
hepatitis C and arthritis, and grows six months of medicine at a time 
for personal use while supplying other patients. The patient claims 
to not profit from the marijuana, instead relying on Social Security 
to pay the bills.

After the home-invasion robbery, Seattle police treated the patient 
with dignity and respect - and did not confiscate any medicine, the 
patient said.

Law Enforcement

The biggest roadblock for medical marijuana, legally speaking, is the 
federal government's classification of cannabis as a Schedule 1 substance.

"A national policy would be helpful," said Don Pierce, executive 
director, Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs. 
Pierce said a major problem in Washington state is the conflict with 
federal law when it comes to enforcement. Different rules apply to 
drug task force cases that involve federal agents.

In 2008, the Washington State Department of Health issued guidelines 
on the definition of a 60-day supply. These guidelines have made 
enforcement easier, Pierce said. However, some residents hide behind 
a medical marijuana defense in cases that appear to involve 
manufacturing for sale or other "nefarious purposes," Pierce said.

Pierce started his law enforcement career in 1970, eventually serving 
as police chief in Normandy Park, Tukwila, Bellingham and Boise, 
Idaho. He worked in Washington state when the medical marijuana 
initiative passed in 1998, along with an amendment to the law in 2007.

"We in law enforcement thought (the medical marijuana law) was going 
to be a way bigger problem than it turned out to be," Pierce said, 
adding that the main problem was implementation of the law. "We don't 
spend very much time in our meetings talking about medical 
marijuana," Pierce said.

In fact, Seattle and King County are considered the state's havens 
for medical marijuana rights. King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan 
Satterberg is viewed by some local patients as a prominent public 
official on their side.

As the state's largest urban area, King County has more experience 
with medical marijuana compared to other counties. That experience 
has an influence on the internal standards and procedures of law 
enforcement, Satterberg said.

"It's our job to enforce the law," he said, noting that the current 
medical marijuana laws are not well written. The idea is to approach 
the spirit of the law and allow people who are truly sick to find 
relief, Satterberg said. He referenced a May 26 incident in Seattle, 
in which a medical marijuana patient was robbed by fake drug 
enforcement agents, then had several cannabis plants confiscated by 
police. Satterberg called this particular incident a success because 
no one got hurt, and the patient was able to keep 15 plants as 
allowed by law, he said.

"I don't want to prosecute any sick people," Satterberg said.

Others call the May 26 incident a violation. Mark Spohn, the Seattle 
patient who was robbed, said in news reports that he was cultivating 
more than the 15-plant limit in order to help supply fellow patients.

King County may serve as a model for Washington state in terms of 
medical marijuana tolerance, but still has a long way to go, said 
Seattle-based attorney Douglas Hiatt. Specifically, Hiatt called the 
guidelines for a 60-day supply "a step backward." Patients often 
struggle to fill the gap between one harvest and the time it takes a 
new batch of plants to reach maturity, he said.

"What the Department of Health has done is unconscionable," said 
Hiatt, who represents patients across the state, usually at no cost. 
"You couldn't get a 60-day supply out of 15 plants unless you're a 
master gardener."

Coming Up

The next installment of this series will examine the efforts of 
medical marijuana supporters in Washington state, including Douglas 
Hiatt, a Seattle-based attorney who donates his services to defend 
patients; Steve Sarich, an outspoken advocate who runs a support 
network in King County; Ken Martin, who suffers from a brain tumor; 
and two Federal Way area patients who grow their medicine.
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake