Pubdate: Fri, 17 Feb 2012
Source: Kent Reporter (WA)
Copyright: 2012 Sound Publishing
Contact:  http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/south_king/ken/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/5026
Author: Dennis Box

MEDICAL MARIJUANA TRIPS ON SENATE FLOOR

The smoke-filled room of medical marijuana legislation in Olympia will
continue to be shrouded in haze.

Many folks in Kent and members of the City Council were hoping the
Legislature would clear the air on the medical marijuana issue, which
had caused a considerable dose of consternation at several council
meetings and in the Economic and Community Development Committee.

That hope appears to have vanished into a puff of smoke when the bill
did not make the cutoff Tuesday night in the Senate to move to the
House.

The medical marijuana measure, Senate Bill 6265, made it out of the
Health and Long Term Care Committee and Rules, but hit a logjam on the
Senate floor Tuesday.

Philip Dawdy, a lobbyist who worked with the Washington Cannabis
Association, stated the bill was "taken hostage" in a fight between
the Republicans and Democrats. His speculation is definitely inside
baseball from the Olympia dome perspective, and very fun to hear.

Dawdy thought the bill was going well until a couple of amendments
were added by Sen. Joe Fain, R-Auburn. Adding amendments is standard
business for any bill. Dawdy thought by the time a compromise was
worked out the bill was facing another political curve ball that killed it.

Fain said that his main amendment was allowing cities to prohibit
collective gardens. The senator said it was important to him and the
cities he represents, including Kent and Auburn, that the power to
allow or prohibit collective gardens stays in the "hands of the cities."

Fain said the bill was "on the bubble to begin with" and his
amendments were not the stop sign.

He stated when 5 p.m. Tuesday rolled around the bill did not make the
grade.

Fain said the state's marijuana legislation is currently "fractured
law." The senator did sign the letter from Gov. Chris Gregoire asking
the federal government to reclassify marijuana as being suitable for
medical purposes.

Dawdy agreed with Fain the amendments did not kill the bill. He said a
compromise was worked out concerning the amendments with the many
players, but with the issue coming up so close to the vote, Thursday
or Friday apparently, time was spent on the compromise rather than
shoring up votes to get the bill to the House.

It is possible with Initiative 502, that seeks to decriminalizing
marijuana, heading for the ballot in November, some of the steam for
fixing the legislation may have dissipated.

Federal law lists marijuana as a Schedule I controlled substance along
with heroin.

The Kent City Council passed a second six-month moratorium on
collective gardens and dispensaries in January, but has not been able
to come to an agreement on zoning regulations for medical marijuana
establishments.

It looks like Kent will continue to be wrapped in a medical marijuana
fog for some time.
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MAP posted-by: Matt