Senator steps up for MMJ:

[JamesFarmer]

SENATOR PLANS BILL TO SAVE MEDICAL POT by Ben Livingston, (Source:Stranger)

06 Nov 2013 Share This Article

Washington -------Will Fight Attempts to Gut Patients' Rights

Last month, medical marijuana supporters were aghast when a legislative work group released its draft recommendation that the state repeal pot-growing rights for the sick and dying, slash possession limits, and force doctors to register cannabis patients in a state database. If enacted by the legislature, such a bill would all but eliminate Washington State's voter-enacted medical cannabis law.

But Senator Jeanne Kohl-Welles ( D-Queen Anne ), the state's longest-serving pro-pot elected official, says patients need to speak up before the legislature meets in January, and a hearing the state is holding next week is critical to pushing back. "The liquor control board isn't doing anything by rule," she insists. "They're not coming out with a bill."

Kohl-Welles says she will likely introduce a bill that could explicitly protect the medical marijuana law, allow home growing by patients, and encourage recreational pot stores ( the stores allowed by Initiative 502, which passed last year ) to sell marijuana grown specifically for medical purposes, such as low-THC, high-CBD varieties. She says that her bill, which she expects can pass, will likely include language to "tighten up" regulations on health-care professionals who authorize medical cannabis-an issue many elected officials consider a loosey-goosey problem within the current medical marijuana industry.

It may also include a voluntary registry for patients who want to avoid the steep taxes on recreational cannabis. This could allay concerns that medical pot producers will unfairly compete with the new recreational system by selling untaxed, unregulated pot.

Kohl-Welles hopes to appease many factions in the often-divided medical cannabis community. Preparing people for the state hearing next week, she says, "It doesn't help to just hurl insults. It's helpful for people to provide constructive feedback."

More than 400 people are expected to pack a public hearing on the proposal to gut the medical marijuana law. It is scheduled for Wednesday, November 13, at 6 p.m. at Worthington Center, 5300 Pacific Avenue in Olympia.

 

[ydijadoit]

Thanks for the frequent updates, JamesFarmer. I sent my letter in last week, via email.
Regards

 

[JamesFarmer]

I sent my letter in last week, via email.
Regards

Awesome!! I am hopefull that enough of us did speak up to have a powerful voice.

Thank you!!

FJ.

 

[trichrider]

i've seen 3 different deadlines for comment.

meeting:

Wednesday, November 13, at 6 p.m.
Worthington Center
5300 Pacific Avenue
Olympia.

 

[JamesFarmer]

i've seen 3 different deadlines for comment.

meeting:

Wednesday, November 13, at 6 p.m.
Worthington Center
5300 Pacific Avenue
Olympia.

I believe the period for public comment to LCB via email has ended.

BUT!! You can still reach out to your Rep's and let them know how you feel. LCB cannot change RCW69.51A. That will take legislation based upon LCB's recommendations. We can still make a difference.

If you are able, please attend the meeting in Olympia tomorow.

Remember: "The squeaky wheel gets the grease"...Let's get greased!!

 

[TheCleanGame]

Good to hear the fight is on...

Priorities:

Medical home growers because nobody does quality like the informed personal grower.

NO Difference in pricing between recreational and medical as that's a huge area for weasling and people causing issues.

No Change in the current Doctor System because if anything... the doctors simply need to be better educated. I personally believe it's silly that I have to get a piece of paper from some joker in a white coat who has a 'framed' piece of paper... when that joker has no education on the subject.

I'm further incensed that I actually have to go get permission to treat myself medically in the first place. With a plant! lol.

What we really need? We REALLY need legislators who are ignorant to the facts of cannabis... to STOP being involved with making legislation about cannabis.

Keep it Clean!

 

[JamesFarmer]

Good to hear the fight is on...

Priorities:

Medical home growers because nobody does quality like the informed personal grower.

NO Difference in pricing between recreational and medical as that's a huge area for weasling and people causing issues.

No Change in the current Doctor System because if anything... the doctors simply need to be better educated. I personally believe it's silly that I have to get a piece of paper from some joker in a white coat who has a 'framed' piece of paper... when that joker has no education on the subject.

I'm further incensed that I actually have to go get permission to treat myself medically in the first place. With a plant! lol.

What we really need? We REALLY need legislators who are ignorant to the facts of cannabis... to STOP being involved with making legislation about cannabis.

Keep it Clean!

Hey Clean,

Thnks for dropping in. I pretty much agree with you but with a little different take.

I think some of the strongest reasons to keep patient grows is to insure access to the correct meds and keep them affordable to the medical patients. We need well grown meds of strains that are appropriate medical application.

I expect the 502 community to focus on strains of high recreational value. Those are not allways the best for med use.

As far as keeping price the same,I understand your thought and see merit but keep in mind that the aggregate tax on 502 MJ will be around 44% of the retail price. I think subjecting patients to a significant tax on medicine is just plain wrong. I expect "out the door" price of 502 cannabis to be $12-20 a gram. I think med patients should be completely exempt from excise and sales tax.

As to the recommended changes in MMJ Recommendation rules. If "Joe 502" can buy without a recommendation then what is the justification for making a recommendation harder to get? I don't understand the reasoning...

Bottom line: All of us in the Medical Community agree that the proposed changes would do significant harm and do little or no good.

For LCB's recommendations to become law will require legislation based on thier recommendations to be drafted and passed by our Legislators. The time for us to offer feedbackto LCB in writing has passed. We can attent the meeting in Olympia tomorrow and we can continue to reach out to out Legislators and share the VOTERS views.

 

[TheCleanGame]

The issue with the pricing will be the backlash with the black market...

The reasoning to do it as a method to "keep medicine cheap" for the patients will end up having bad consequences for everyone.

None of this is really going to change until they make it more or less like here in Colorado... at least for the people.

We don't have to have a card to grow or use or carry... nearly everyone is talking about growing their own and in light of that mindset... it's difficult to see what's going on in other states.

Keep it Clean!

 

[yortbogey]

I'll be in Oly.... this evening.... attending meeting w/ evergreen alumni.... let the protest begin...

 

[JamesFarmer]

The issue with the pricing will be the backlash with the black market...

The reasoning to do it as a method to "keep medicine cheap" for the patients will end up having bad consequences for everyone.


Keep it Clean!

How about to "Keep medicine affordable"?

If forced to pay "502 Retail" prices and buy from a 502 store I would not be able to afford it. I am sure that I am not the only one.

 

[ydijadoit]

How about to "Keep medicine affordable"?

If forced to pay "502 Retail" prices and buy from a 502 store I would not be able to afford it. I am sure that I am not the only one.

As I mentioned in my letter to the state, another major concern is strain selection. There won't be anything but the fastest flowering, highest yielding strains for sale. I personally never really got much benefit from AK-47 (Just one example).
Not to mention machine trimmed, uncured bud (does anyone believe the growers or processors will sit on this stuff, carefully burping jars for a month, until it's perfect??).
I'm nowhere near the top of the heap of growers on here. Just a middle age guy, working in his room, trying to learn all he can.
That said, I have zero doubt that I can blow state weed out of the water. In looks, smell, potency, and overall quality.
I don't want shitty gov'mnt buds. Yuck.
Another point, that would make no difference at all to the suit dummies railroading us. I like growing my own buds. I really enjoy it. My back is fucked, it hurts all day, and this gives me a pleasurable, rewarding hobby, that stimulates my brain, and creativity, without wiping me out physically.
From building a new cabinet, to wiring, plumbing, environment control, trying new strains, fiddling around with new hydro setups. You name it. It's one of the few things that almost always makes me smile. (Except harvest. I hate trimming!)
I do not want to be marginalized, and criminalized again. I don't brag, sell, or do anything stupid. I flip a eighth to some of my good friends once in awhile. Guess what? It's free, or in trade.
Piss on $350 per oz crap at the corner store.
I think the funniest part of 502 will be the empty stores.
Think about it. In Washington state, right now, how many of your friends even ask anymore "Where can I pick up a sack, the town seems dry?"
One taste of overpriced, sub-par bud, and I doubt they will go back, as they know where to get better stuff, cheaper.
I predict a surge when the stores first open (I might even buy a gram, just to confirm my suspicions), and then I am betting it's a ghost town, overstocked on schwag, wondering where all the customers are.
Regards

Regards

 

[TheCleanGame]

How about to "Keep medicine affordable"?

If forced to pay "502 Retail" prices and buy from a 502 store I would not be able to afford it. I am sure that I am not the only one.

You can't have prohibition and 'Affordable Medicine' in the same country... sorry.

Same reason you don't put retail and wholesale pricing on the same website... just doesn't work.

As I stated... the backlash into black market prices and procurement will make a joke out of the stores in the state.

Grow your own anyway... I say.

There's a reason there are such quality 'quiet' fans and odor-scrubbers in existence and it's because prohibition doesn't stop people from doing what's necessary and right.

The Micro-Grow forum is full of people with great setups. With strains like "Harlequin" and others coming in at high levels of CBD... every grow with these plants has 4-20 times the medicinal value of the recreational cananbis out there.

That means you'll need to grow 4-20 times LESS cannabis than you normally would. This actually puts growing 'enough' cannabis into the realm of possibility for a larger number of stealth medical growers than ever before. Sweet!

Really can't handle going to prison and absolutely have to have cannabis at a cheaper price... Move to Colorado. Vote with your tax dollars by spending them here instead.

Prohibition has made it a really f'ed up situation for EVERYONE in this country, whether they realize how it affects them or not. I'm sooooo looking forward to the end of all this ignorance fueled suffering.

Keep it Clean!

 

[JamesFarmer]

You can't have prohibition and 'Affordable Medicine' in the same country... sorry.

I was mistaken. I thought that is what we have had in Washington for some years.

 

[Jhhnn]

Fortunately for those of us in Colorado, authoritarian forces are completely screwed by the personal growing provisions of A64. It's something that all activists really, really, really need to include in their initiatives.

Washington's liquor board wouldn't be in a position to stage a crackdown on med growers if they had personal growing provisions. Even though Washington residents voted for less authoritarian control, the liquor board is trying to create more.

It's the law of unintended consequences, always a problem when dealing with authoritarians. They'll try to exploit any opening.

 

[JamesFarmer]

Fortunately for those of us in Colorado, authoritarian forces are completely screwed by the personal growing provisions of A64. It's something that all activists really, really, really need to include in their initiatives.

Washington's liquor board wouldn't be in a position to stage a crackdown on med growers if they had personal growing provisions. Even though Washington residents voted for less authoritarian control, the liquor board is trying to create more.

It's the law of unintended consequences, always a problem when dealing with authoritarians. They'll try to exploit any opening.

Ahmen Brother!!

 

[Raho]

Good to hear the fight is on...

What we really need? We REALLY need legislators who are ignorant to the facts of cannabis... to STOP being involved with making legislation about cannabis.

Keep it Clean!

"It's not that they are ignorant, it's just that so much of what they know simply isn't true."

;-)

 

[TheCleanGame]

You can't have prohibition and 'Affordable Medicine' in the same country... sorry.

I was mistaken. I thought that is what we have had in Washington for some years.

Really? Washington has $200/lb Medicinal Cannabis? (Better yet... $12/lb)

No... they don't. Why? Because prohibition is still in effect and prices reflect that. I don't consider even $10 an 1/8th to be "Affordable Medicine" and know a whole lot of other people that are in the same boat.

Keep it Clean!

 

[Jhhnn]

"It's not that they are ignorant, it's just that so much of what they know simply isn't true."

;-)

Indeed. That's what propaganda is designed to accomplish, to convince us to believe in things that aren't true at all.

Sometimes propagandists do so knowingly, other times it's because they believe in lies themselves. The latter is actually more difficult to combat, given the human tendency to defend our beliefs in the face of facts to the contrary. It all gets very emotional very quickly as believers enter denial.