Pullout Oct 30, 2013 at 4:00 am

Olympia Looks Intent on Repealing Rights for Sick and Dying

Comments

1
It is clear that Governor Jay Inslee and this work group represents various government interests (including the state's departments of health, revenue, and liquor) are more interested in making a buck off of people getting high, and have no interest in the rights of patients with legitimate medical issues to obtain quality and effective medication.

Unfortunately, forcing medical marijuana patients to be treated like recreational users is even worse policy. I-502 has not even been fully implemented yet, and no one really knows how successful it will be. It is very sad that the ACLU can vilify medical dispensaries without offering any real, safe alternative. Also, the ACLU insisted that I-502 would not result in any change to the medical marijuana law. (thus doing this on the sly without a vote just shows a little more about this particular group's true motives.)

If this particular self-interest group does strike down medical marijuana and succeeds in lowering the grade and quality of medication available to patients, then I see an increase in the blackmarket for such things (especially concentrates) which in turn will lead to a loss in their tax revenue. Banning concentrates will only create more demand, thus making the blackmarket more lucrative.

Gutting out Washington's medical marijuana law will backfire on WA State politicians... hopefully they realize this before its too late.
2
See related story and PLEASE, get the word out...

http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/shit_…
3
I discussed this with the folks at my preferred dispensary the other day. They told me that the new legal pot shops will only carry Indica (not the preferred med for pain), and only smokeable pot will be sold, not tinctures or edibles, the forms that many of us patients prefer.

I am furious that WA is gutting MMJ. Many of us actually use it as medicine and apparently the forms that work will be illegal, despite Pot being legal overall.

This sucks.
4
The answer to saving the medical cannabis program is to unify the various Washington citizens that are served by this program. Veterans, Baby Boomers, Cancer Patients, AIDS patients, MS paitents, those suffering from PTSD ... in other words the sick and suffering of Washington. We and our family memebrs, our friends VOTE..and the good compassionate citizens of Washington did not vote to gut the medical cannabis program..rather we voted to end the ability of "government agencies" to make criminals out of citizens who use cannabis.
Medical cannabis patients need to have access to a wide variety of genetics, and refined products that use whole plant botanical mass in their wellness program.
To suggest that medical cannabis patients can be served by a recreational program , that discourages CBD dominate strains..that has no programs for low-income citizens who are using this substance as the least toxic method of pain management simply will not be able to afford the " recreational market". The ability for the collectives to serve their members would be better served if we licensed and regulated the safe access points and a small per-transaction fee was set aside for the tax coffers .
With common sense and honesty and transparency we can have a medical program that can exist side by side with the recreational marketplace as they serve different citizen demographics.
There are workable models available for discuss right now... we just need honest from all sides and no hidden agendas from the prohibitionists in government.
5
@3 "my preferred dispensary [...] told me that the new legal pot shops will [...] I am furious"

It is not unreasonable to think that the recreational shops will be horrible for [valid under current state law] medical marijuana patients, but these are not yet knowable facts and those statements seem more than a little self-serving and scare-mongering.

Clearly, mobilization is necessary to protect real [as defined by current law] patients, and making them shit their [metaphorical] pants may actually be self-defeating.
6
@3: the people at your preferred dispensary are making stuff up and not even correct. if they don't know the law, i would question how much they know about current laws or anything to do with herbal medicine.
7
And why would we believe a fucking word Alison Holcomb says? Fuck her, her lieutenants and anyone else who lied to every medical patient in the state. A political win for her career was more important than protecting the rights of patients. She can go eat shit until she admits that she is a goddamned liar.
8
Winning this battle is critical for the legalization movement. Learn why here:

http://www.weedist.com/2013/10/medical-m…

9
We can do something about this:
https://www.facebook.com/events/70092273…
10
Don't blame Allison Holcomb for this. Read I-502, it says nothing about MMJ. And she doesn't sit on the WSLCB. She stepped forward and objected to these proposals as soon as they were announced.
If you want to blame somebody, blame Mark Kleiman and BOTEC analysis. They suggested these changes, and Kleiman has said he believes MMJ is a fraud loudly and publicly.
11
Ok, # 5 & 6, what facts do YOU know?
12
@11 Okay. How about you look one link over at "The Timeline" also by Ben Livingston.

Your preferred dispensary is claiming to be able to flawlessly predict the business models of all or at least most of the groups that have not even been able to apply (Nov 18th-Dec 18th), let alone been selected (Late Feb.)

It's not that most of these recommendations are not horrible, it's that these people you are relying on are presenting these wild ass assertions as facts with very little established ground on which to base their projections.
13
The Timeline doesn't have any information that bears on my questions.

In any case, limiting the amount of pot that a patient can have from 24 oz to 3 is ridiculous. This means that people who are in really bad shape will have to go out more frequently, which is to day the least, difficult for them.

Eliminating private growing is stupid. It's a freaking plant, not bomb parts.

It sounds like you don't use MMJ. Good for you. Those of us who truly need it are a little worried. Sorry if that bothers you.
15
@13 The timeline has no bearing? Really?

If your preferred dispensary really believes that there will only be recreational shops and that those shops will not adequately serve patients, shouldn't they apply later this month to be the exception to their postulated rule?

I agree that most of these new restrictions are bullshit, and I would hope that your preferred dispensary is also helping you to mobilize against these proposed changes.

Unfortunately, I rather suspect that they're just a bunch of scare-mongering opportunists, who happen to like weed.
16
What bearing does the timeline have on concerns about restrictions and eliminating MMJ shops?

And my dispensary actually cares about patients, we've talked about it at length. They cheered when I told them how their meds have helped me. Sorry if you can't handle that.
17
god you'd swear they were writing regulations for anthrax manufacturing or something. Everyone in WA should plant a seed in their front yard this spring.
18
So sad, after injuring my spine I was prescribed percoset and muscle relaxers for months and months, addictive therapy which does not effectively treat the source of the pain. when i tried medical marijuana, i was able to function without becoming addicted to prescription painkillers. While the medical marijuana does not treat the source of pain, it is a much healthier treatment option that is non-addictive.

Now the LCB wants to restrict access to my high CBD strains, and force me to use only recreational strains which will be taxed at 60%? NO!

Like this page for further updates: https://www.facebook.com/saveWAMMJ
19
You can get hemp tincture that is high in CBD but contains no THC. It's approved as a dietary supplement and you can buy it at dispensaries. You can also buy it online without an MMJ prescription.

http://dixiebotanicals.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Dew-Drops-Hemp-Sup…
20
@16 They actually cheered? Oh. I guess I was completely wrong about those guys. They must love you almost as much as Applebee's loves me. (They sang "Happy Birthday" to me, after all.)

Look, I don't know how else to tell you that based on the story you told us, your preferred dispensary spouted some bullshit at you. Not lies necessarily, but something posing as established fact that simply can not have a strong grounding for it's veracity.

Now, that bullshit may have been worthwhile if it was coupled with actual action plans and mobilization, but despite having prompted you to offer that defense for them, you could only muster a weak anecdote about how they "care".

I think that probably makes them scare-mongering assholes, but it's fine if you disagree.

Ultimately, as you dismissively pointed out, I don't currently have a lot of skin in this game, even though I do care passionately about good health care, but I've already contacted my state representatives. Have you?
21
It's so easy to hid behind a screen name and bash others, isn't it? How very pathetic of you.

And yes I have.
22
let's organize a class action suit against the liquor board on behalf of medical patients of washington state.

the liquor board is power-hungry and has a gleaming eye on all the potential tax dollars.

the board has requested 46 armed enforcement officers and millions more in funding, even before tax revenues start.

the secret meetings, the guns...hitler is coming again!
23
The medical pot dispensaries were legalized as a stepping stone to full legalization. Nothing more.
24
@21 "How very pathetic of you." "It's so easy to hid behind a screen name and bash others, isn't it?"

You tell me.

Although, you might want to put a little thought into your answer; the last story you told made multiple people think poorly of your preferred, but safely unnamed, dispensary.
25
"multiple"? Ooohhhhh, two of you, with only you continuing to attack me.

Sorry, kid. I'm done with you. I have other fish to fry. Nighty-night!
26
Washington's Veterans for Compassionate Care is a program driven health care delivery model that provides CBD Whole Plant Botanical Cannabis therapy to the Warfighter community.
After careful review of the proposed amendments to the medical cannabis program of Washington State, we have concluded that the proposed changes by the advisory group to the LCBD to merge the medical cannabis program into I-502 regulations is harmful and unacceptable to the disabilities community.
This would effectively end the ability of Washington Veteran medical cannabis patients to have whole plant botanical cannabis substance access.

Our Veteran medical cannabis patients use cannabis therapy to help relieve the effects of PTSD,
CTE , amputations, shrapnel fragments and physical injuries sustained in their service to this nation. Like many of their fellow citizens, they are living under difficult economic stressors.
But unlike other state citizens, the Veteran community is increasingly vulnerable to conditions not prone to occur in the general population and because of unique conditions, require different and often difficult living situations that expose them to additional issues of health and well being.
The Veterans simply cannot afford to lose the ability to have whole plant botanical cannabis access under their own ability or the collective models that have worked so well to provide the needed raw plant material.

Because of their unique situations, many of our Veterans who provide their own whole plant botanical cannabis material do so knowing the unique characteristics of the plants they sow and the direct relief they receive as a result. They are able to absolve their own pains and often times the process of tilling the soil and growing their own makes for an enduring recipe of balance and wellness not achievable via pharmaceuticals.
As well, the existing cannabis regulations of 15 plants per patient, with the dried flower amounts currently within the law, and the collective garden model, are necessary for those sick and injured who are not able to garden for themselves. This is a new model that has had its share of growing pains, not least of which is having to operate in a vacuum, without the proper infrastructure other mainstream businesses are able to leverage. Yet, this new model has overcome a great deal of resistance and is working fairly well, with some accompanying problems, which continue to find solutions because of the urgent need in the community.

What would be an advancement to this model, would be a regulatory system for the safe access
points…insuring that they are providing to those in the Cannabis Civilization who are using the medicinal applications of the cannabis plant to replace large levels of highly toxic prescription medications that cause serve side effects, thus providing the safe access points protection and regulation under Washington law.

We the citizens of the state of Washington voted via initiative 692 to allow for a medical cannabis
program for approved patients to access Whole Plant Botanical Cannabis in raw form in November of
1998. I-502 w
as an initiative crafted to allow for the development of a commercial Cannabis industry to evolve and was it voted into law by the citizens of the state of Washington in 2012.
The state was given a mandate via this initiative to craft a set of rules and regulations to develop an infrastructure complete with proper operating protocols for a setting up this new industry.
27
@25 I doubt an unbiased reader would find my use of the word "multiple" to be unreasonable.

I do find it more interesting that you're implying that posts #5 and #6 were attacks on you.

None the less, I wish you well.
28
I am a city councilwoman in SE Washington (the area of the state where we still don't have access). I called the LCB to find out who is on the work group. The only name I got was a Mr. Ortiz for LCB. I asked who represents the medical community on the workgroup. Is there a physician who does certifications, is there an access point owner, a patient, an ARNP, a lawyer. No one from the actual medical community is on the workgroup representing us. They only gave us two weeks to make comments on a website. This continues I will run for governor and change the laws. As for the tax, they have rewritten the law to say 25% tax on each wholesale sales. So if the producer sells to a processor, who makes oil and he sells to the lady down the street with a medible business. She makes suckers out of the oil. Then the suckers are sold to a retailer who then sells them to a customer. The tax could be as much as 125% and it is compounded on each sale. I have read the original initiative that says LCB will write rules on taxing wholesale at 25%. I don't think it said anything about 125%, that is LCB getting greedy. Now they want to tax and regulate medical. No Way! I also tried to get a workgroup together to give recommendation to the governor. I had one person return my call. Anyone interested?
29
BUY MEDICAL MARIJUANA WEED NOW.PAIN MEDS. MEDICAL MARIJUUANA STRAINS AVAILABLE.Call or text us (214-838-0923)……..(dukerobert34@gmail.com) We supply high quality medicinal marijuana and other best strains of kush for sale at moderate prices. Girl Scout Cookies Blueberry Yum Yum OG Kush Sour OG Kush Northern Lights #5 Purple Kush Ballsack Mango Kush Kandy Kush Soul Assassin OG Sandman, ReCon, Blue Dream, Snow Wreck, Pineapple Express, Purple Kush, Big King Bud, *Green Crack: Grade: AA *sour Diesel ::Grade: A+ Top Shelf *Grand Daddy Purple ::::Grade: A *Sensi Star x ak47 :Grade: AAA *Afghan Kush :Grade: A *Northe Lights #5 Grade: A+ *Lemon drop:::Grade: A+ *Purple Kush:::::Grade:A+ Top Shelf *OG Kush ::::Grade:A++ Top Shelf *purple-urkle::Grade: A- Plus Many More! We deliver “high grade”, low prices

Call or text us (214-838-0923)

OR EMAIL…dukerobert34@gmail.com

Please wait...

Comments are closed.

Commenting on this item is available only to members of the site. You can sign in here or create an account here.


Add a comment
Preview

By posting this comment, you are agreeing to our Terms of Use.