On the face of it, this proposal is another Republican attempt to marginalize and discriminate against medical marijuana patients.

I'm convinced that prohibition of marijuana is a premise built on a tissue of lies: Concern For Public Safety. Our new laws save hundreds of lives every year, on our highways alone. In November of 2011 a study at the University of Colorado found that, in the thirteen states that decriminalized marijuana between 1990 and 2009, traffic fatalities have dropped by nearly nine percent—now nearly ten percent in Michigan--while sales of beer went flat by five percent. No wonder Big Alcohol opposes it. Ambitious, unprincipled, profit-driven undertakers might be tempted too.

In 2012 a study released by 4AutoinsuranceQuote revealed that marijuana users are safer drivers than non-marijuana users, as "the only significant effect that marijuana has on operating a motor vehicle is slower driving", which "is arguably a positive thing". Despite occasional accidents, eagerly reported by police-blotter ‘journalists’ as ‘marijuana-related’, a mix of substances was often involved. Alcohol, most likely, and/or prescription drugs, nicotine, caffeine, meth, cocaine, heroin, and a trace of the marijuana passed at a party last week. However, on the whole, as revealed in big-time, insurance-industry stats, within the broad swath of mature, experienced consumers, slower and more cautious driving shows up in significant numbers. Legalization should improve those numbers further.

No one has ever died from an overdose of marijuana. It's the most benign 'substance' in history. And most people--and particularly patients who medicate with marijuana--use it in place of prescription drugs or alcohol.

Marijuana has many benefits, most of which are under-reported or never mentioned in American newspapers. Research at the University of Saskatchewan indicates that, unlike alcohol, cocaine, heroin, or Nancy (“Just say, ‘No!’”) Reagan’s beloved nicotine, marijuana is a neuro-protectant which actually encourages brain-cell growth. Research in Spain (the Guzman study) and other countries has discovered that it also has tumor-shrinking, anti-carcinogenic properties. These were confirmed by the 30-year Tashkin population study at UCLA.

Drugs are man-made, cooked up in labs, for the sake of patents and the profits gained by them. Often useful, but typically burdened with cautionary notes and lists of side effects as long as one's arm. 'The works of Man are flawed.'

Marijuana is a medicinal herb, the most benign and versatile in history. “Cannabis” in Latin, and “kaneh bosm” in the old Hebrew scrolls, quite literally the Biblical Tree of Life, used by early Christians to treat everything from skin diseases to deep pain and despair. The very name, “Christ” translates as “the anointed one”. Well then, anointed with what? It’s a fair question. And it wasn’t holy water, friends. Holy water came into wide use in the Middle Ages. In Biblical times it was used by a few tribes of Greek pagans. But Christ was neither Greek nor pagan.

Medicinal oil, for the Prince of Peace. A formula from the Biblical era has been rediscovered. It specifies a strong dose of oil from kaneh bosom, ‘the fragrant cane’ of a dozen uses: ink, paper, rope, nutrition. . . . It was clothing on their backs and incense in their temples. And a ‘skinful’ of medicinal oil could certainly calm one’s nerves, imparting a sense of benevolence and connection with all living things. No wonder that the ‘anointed one’ could gain a spark, an insight, a sense of the divine, and the confidence to convey those feelings to friends and neighbors.

I am appalled at the number of 'Christian' politicians, prosecutors, and police who pose on church steps or kneeling in prayer on their campaign trails, but cannot or will not face the scientific or the historical truths about cannabis, Medicinal Herb Number One, safe and effective for thousands of years, and celebrated by most of the world’s major religions.

Wow: those RethugliKluxers don't seem to know that WE know that bill violates both state and federal patients'-rights laws . . . . --- http://www.usa.gov .

It would have been nice to see you mention that Sen. Kohl-Welles' bill 5519, the superior bill to 5502, is still alive in the Senate.

And I am very discouraged that you chose to use that horrible picture of Sen. Rivers created by one of the most vitriolic activists; no one takes him seriously any more anyway. You just further inflame the hate. I've seen threats of physical harm toward Rivers in the comments under the posting on this picture. Welcome to the wonderful world of Cannabis in Washington State.

I doubt very much that if one was in true medical need of cannabis that one would allow the minuscule chance that the feds will use the registry against them to stand in the way of getting needed medicine. No, the TRUE reason the "medical" marijuana activists get their shorts in a knot over this is that they know the registry will cost them the profits associated with their best customers: young, healthy men who over-consume solely for recreation but get a "medical" to make their purchases cheaper and quasi legal.
The "medical" marijuana activists are the ones who should be depicted with blood dripping from their fangs as they are the true money hungry exploiters of the system.

I remember buying a $10.00 lid back in the 70's. It wasn't the same quality as the stuff that's available now, but we would use a shoebox and sift the seeds our and the stems we would save to boil into tea. Why the Govt. has to stick their noses into something as simple as buying pot....They want the tax revenue, that's why it was legalized. $$$$$$$$$$$

The article completely ignores the biggest problem with the medical industry--that a huge percentage of "patients" are simply gaming the system and have no illness whatsoever. Those people should be using the commercial market and paying taxes. They undermine all the good work the medical industry does and place the whole system in jeopardy.

+1 @3. Terrible choice to include that picture. Shameful journalistic ethics.

I don't live in WA and I'm not a MM pt. so I don't really have a big dog in this fight, but I think the MM folks are whinging just a little bit too much. What this article asks for, as a practical matter, is the equivalent of the gun-show private sale loophole: an exception in the law which makes the whole thing kind of ridiculous (and which conflicts their stated claim to want increased guidelines and regulation). Aside from the home-delivery exception, it seems like the needs of the MM community (maybe not dispensary operators, but they aren't exactly the same thing as patients) can be met with the 502 legislation. It's hard to generate much of a shared sense of man-the-barricades outrage.

First, this is a bi-prtisan bill, not a "Republican" bill. Calling it that is just another tactic by the well funded illegal pot lobby.

For years people who advocated for legalizing marijuana argued that we should legalize and tax. Now that we are, their is a group of business people making tons of money operating illegally, unregulated, and untaxed, that want the legalization part, but like most greedy business people, don't want the taxed and regulated part.

What should be obvious to everyone is that the illegal suddenly libertarian so called "medical" pot lobby, is hiding behind patients. 90% of their customers are recreational users.

Heidi shows how much she is influenced by this lobby when she writes their talking points like

"The bill seeks to do away with all current medical marijuana dispensaries, folding that market into the state's new recreational pot industry created by Initiative 502. Dispensaries that are currently operating would have until next July to get licensed through the Washington State Liquor Control Board or be shut down."

This is totally conflicting. In fact, dispensaries would have over a year to get licensed and only dispensaries who don't get folded in to the 502 system will be closed, nowhere near "all". At the same time the bill lifts the cap on 502 retail stores to allow many more to make up for the demand. It would be good for Heidi to read the bill and point this out.

And the points about the registry are fear mongering. The real reason the grey market pot lobby is against this registry is that their customers who aren't actually patients will no longer be their customers, and as they know, that's most of them.

I just want to be able to grow a few plants in my basement. FFS.

Hey Stranger, this might be a good time to pull this one and start over. Your reporting on pot has been pretty good up till this point.
The medical industry is 10% patients in need and 90% recreation user who paid $100 to get a green card at Hemp Fest. In fact, for multiple years you, yourself marketing these services on these very pages. While I feel bad that perhaps some needy cancer patients will have to to travel a bit further to buy their medicine... it's not the end of the world. They will adjust, and eventually things will even out and become more accesible again.
This is a necessary step in fixing the mess that is the current system. While I agree that we should remove the 1000 ft rule and also allow delivery (this would basically solve every issue you mentioned) I think it's important to get something done instead of doing the typical Seattle thing, which is to talk about it and try to make it perfect before we pass it, which we all know is a zero sum game.
Also, every time someone mentions the registry for medical patients, I can only laugh and think about gun nuts getting up in arms about registering as gun owners, which our side is squarely behind. So don't be hypocritical.
Enough with your half-baked journalism. Go back to screaming wildly about the tunnel, we've gotten used to that.

Most days I feel pain so bad and constant being stabbed would be a relief. Pot dulls the pain but it can't erase it for long. Even without taxes and a generous dispensary I can barely afford it. I stave off suicide multiple times a day and I won't be doing that if I have to face the full brunt of my pain.

@12 If the bill forced insurance companies to cover it and pharmacies to stock it that might happen. This is just going to make things worse.

+1 @4, @6, @8.
The Stranger has been aghast for some time at the idea that our MMJ system would be subject to regulations of any sort. As I said a year ago in comments to a si… by Ben Livingston:
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What we have now is a small number of medical patients being used to justify a huge number of recreational users who are pissy that they'll have to pay taxes and buy from a commercial storefront. If there is another way forward that better serves the legitimate medical patients while shutting down most of the fraudulent use of the medical card system by recreational users, I have yet to hear about it from you or other activists.

If we're going to have medical marijuana, sooner or later we're going to have to regulate it like medicine, prescribe it like medicine, and quality-control it like medicine. It's going to take some steps to get there. Hell, it would be a good start to get the medical research really going so we can move toward truly medical-grade extracts of completely controlled strength with known medical uses and side effects--but that won't happen until we get the federal government on board to allow the research. The best thing that could possibly happen long-term to end the war on marijuana and ease toward reclassification would be for Washington to establish a model system in which the end of prohibition is handled carefully.
The political reality in D.C. is that DOJ is not going to allow recreational pot to move forward as long as our MMJ system makes it impossible to properly regulate the market. And the political reality in THIS Washington is that this bill, or something very much like it, is going to pass and be overwhelmingly popular with voters. The best thing for true-believer MMJ activists to do--if it's not already too late--is to suggest thoughtful changes to the bill that have major benefits for legitimate medical users at a minor cost of additional diversion of the recreational market. If this bill is really the calamity you make it out to be, even small degrees of improvement would be major public policy wins.
But by all means "just say no" to the bill if it makes you feel better to rage against the machine.
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So... how did all that raging against the machine work out for you guys? Loud righteousness in the face of reasoned opposition is not a winning political strategy, kids.

Ironymaiden - your friend should go to a store like Uncle Ike's that carries a couple of brands of low THC, high CBD strains. It is a complete falsity that this sort of product is not available. Another talking point from the anti-regulation, anti-tax business owners. Where Heidi restates their talking points that some sort of vague products that patients need aren't available, the truth is they are. Strains that are tested to be safe, with under 1% THC, and over 18% CBD are common at 502 retailers. The Stranger should do some real reporting on this and report facts, not reprint one sides talking points

This isn’t about access to pot (at least not primarily). This is about whether a class of people should have (relatively) unregulated access to tax free pot.

Unusual to see liberals line up against regulation AND taxes. They are usually such strong proponents of both.

Since Dr. prescribed pharmaceuticals are not taxed, it would be reasonable to agree that Dr. prescribed pot should be tax free too. Pharmacies have processes in place to ensure that the prescriptions they fill are legitimate prescriptions from legitimate Dr.s. It would be reasonable to require the same for medical marijuana.

If my neighbor can get his pot tax free and unregulated because he says its strictly for medicinal purposes (without a Dr.’s prescription), why shouldn’t the rest of us be able to get alcohol tax free and unregulated for medicinal purposes? Why not allow people predisposed to heart disease to by wine tax free? If gin eases my emotional and/or physical pain, should I have to pay taxes on my pain killer if those who use pot for the same thing do not?

And does anyone actually believe that a significant portion of “medical marijuana” users are in legitimate medical need? There are not that many cancer patients in this town and you’re all too young to play the glaucoma card with any credibility.

Require a legitimate prescription for medical marijuana in order to obtain it tax free. Otherwise it’s all bullshit.

The problem you people seem to miss is that until the fed removes it from schedule 1 there is no way any regular pharmacy will ever be able to touch it.

@16 the wine and beer people can already have tax free product, without a license, If they make it themselves. I could make 200 gallons of beer every year and I don't permission from anyone to do it. .

Sen. Kohl-Welles' bill SB 5519, which this article failed to mention, is still alive in the Senate and would allow home grows for all. There's your tax free, regulation free product. The bill would wrap all regulation under 502 but open up the retail application window so we would increase the number of stores and currently operating dispensaries could apply. Medical Specialty Clinics would be allowed where cannabis could be authorized and dispensed under a doctor's supervision. It would also make high CBD products tax free - for everyone! Call Sen. Andy Hill, chair of the Senate Ways & Means committee, and tell him to give it a hearing. (360) 786-7672.

The Kohl-Wells Bill was never actually alive. She needs to remember she's in the minority, and the River's bill has bipartisan support.

Also, what Heidi didn't report is that this bill allows patients with medical cards to buy tax free at all 502 retailers, not just the medical licensed ones. The idea here is to make sure patients have access to tested, safe, pot. I'm missing how this is bad for patients. It's bad for the grey market "medical" businesses, not patients. That's why you're not hearing from patients, but the business owners whose profits will be eaten into, and who don't want to participate in a legal marketplace

again we are visited by the CBD doesn't get you high myth. You know couch pot? CBD is the couch part in couch pot. It's the "narcotic" part of the high, not the twinkly-thinkly part of the high. If you don't believe me - a double-black diamond expert pot smoking smarty pants - go ahead and try taking three or so pure CBD gel caps on an empty stomach and in an hour tell me how not fucked up you are as slur and squint. There's no free lunch in nature - the CNS depressing effect of this drug isn't just targeted at tremors and pain. Given a Sophie's choice I'd far rather drive with someone high on twinkly THC pot than "not high" on squatty Hindu couch weed.

Kohl-Welles' bill just passed out of Commerce, so it is still alive. Just because she's in the slim minority in the Senate, the D's are in the majority in the House & care if JKW's bill has support of the voters. Then they'll know that even though the Senate blindly supported Rivers bill, the people really want the policies in JKW's bill.
You are hearing from patients - they've been saying it for years. Patients don't want a registry. They don't want to be on a list that shows they are breaking federal law (e.g. gun owners, day care workers - whom Oregon is going after from their patient registry), & they don't want to pay to be part of it. Or is the state (taxpayers) going to foot the bill for this expensive, unnecessary system?

@10- The difference between a gun owners' registry and a MJ patients' registry is that the gun owners are admitted to an unambiguously LEGAL act in possessing guns, whils an MJ user is admitting to

(somehow that posted half the comment when I logged in). The gun owners admit to doing something legal; the MJ patient would be admitting (in a public document) to breaking Federal law. In other words, you would have to give up your right no to incriminate yourself in order to access medical pot. I think the chance of a Republican attorney general in the future rounding up the registered pot smokers is far higher than that of the Red Dawn scenario where the commie invaders round up all the gun owners, no?

I'm almost to the point where I'd trade the right for everyone 21+ to be able to homegrow 6 plants.....

For whatever BS the Bureaucrats finally settle on during this legislative session.

Having the legal right to grow cannabis sativa in every home and garden will do more to correct the harm that Prohibition has caused, and we can continue to make progress in both the medical and recreational fields.

The prison industrial complex bowling for dollars.

Folks you have missed the real goal of Senator Ann Rivers. It has nothing to do with helping anyone, well anyone as in a person living in Washington State. She's simply a doing the dirty work for her Corporate masters - AKA Campaign Contributors. All you need to do is take a look at who has made those donations and figure it out for yourselves. Here's just a few: Abbott Laboratories (BIG Pharmaceuticals), Washington Beverage Association, ANHEUSER-BUSCH, PHILIP MORRIS, JP MORGAN CHASE & CO, etc. Are you starting to get the REAL picture here?