Pubdate: Wed, 22 Jul 2015
Source: Columbian, The (WA)
Copyright: 2015 The Columbian Publishing Co.
Contact:  http://www.columbian.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/92

GIVE MEDICAL POT LAW TIME

Legislative action reconciling marijuana markets too new to appeal, modify

In addition to a slate of candidates for local offices, it's likely
that Washington voters this fall will decide two citizen initiatives.
One, sponsored by Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen, would ban
trafficking of endangered species and their parts. The other, from
initiative king Tim Eyman, deals with his favorite subject: taxes.

What voters won't see on the ballot is Referendum 76, which would have
overturned Washington's new medical marijuana law. The proponents
notified the secretary of state's office this week that they wouldn't
be submitting signatures to get it on the ballot. That clears the way
for the law to go into effect Friday.

No choice is a good thing in this case. The new law needs time to
work.

Medical marijuana use in Washington was legalized in 1998. But it was
poorly organized and regulated. Despite an estimated 150,000 medical
marijuana users in the state, there was no patient registry. There
wasn't even a complete list of providers who issued medical marijuana
cards. There was no way to get a business license to grow pot, so
patients either grew it themselves or had someone grow it for them in
unregulated collective gardens.

Of course that Wild West system clashed with buttoned-down Initiative
502, Washington's recreational marijuana law, approved by voters in
2012 and implemented last year. I-502 requires marijuana businesses to
have licenses, keep records and pay taxes. So the Legislature waded in
to attempt to reconcile the two systems. In the Senate, the key player
was Sen. Ann Rivers, R-La Center.

The result was Senate Bill 5052. It makes it tougher to obtain a
medical marijuana card, requiring the patient to have an ongoing
relationship with the prescribing health care provider. It creates a
database of medical marijuana users for the first time. Patients can
opt out of the database, but by doing so will not be able to possess
as much marijuana, nor will they be able to get some tax breaks
afforded to those in the registry. It eliminates growing marijuana in
untaxed collective gardens, but continues to allow up to four patients
to grow plants for each other.

The new law wasn't without controversy. During debate in the House,
Rep. Liz Pike, R-Camas, denounced the idea of a patient registry on
the grounds the federal government might use it to prosecute users.
Even Rivers acknowledged the law wasn't perfect, and will likely be
back before the 2016 Legislature for amendments.

Of course, trying to force structure on a 16-year-old industry is like
trying to force bedtime on a 16-year-old high-schooler. The industry
quickly rebelled and tried to organize a referendum in hopes that
voters would repeal the law.

"It's a matter of survival," argued Paul Stanford, who heads a
pro-cannabis group that claims to have authorized more medical
marijuana patients in Washington than anybody else. Stanford and other
opponents of Senate Bill 502 argued that crimping the medical
marijuana industry will force patients to the black market.

But here's the thing: The old system was so unregulated and informal,
there's no data to support that argument. And SB 5052 doesn't do away
with medical marijuana. Instead, it sets up a framework where it can
continue to serve patients, even as the general population of adults
can choose to purchase marijuana for recreational use.

The new law is a good effort. It should be tried before it is modified
or repealed.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Matt