Washington Governor Signs Bill to Close Dispensaries, Reduce Patients’ Rights
Washington
Governor Jay Inslee has signed Senate Bill 5052 into law, a proposal that will lead to the closure of every medical cannabis dispensary in the state, while implementing a patient registry and drastically reducing the amount of cannabis a patient can possess and cultivate.
Senate Bill 5052 requires all currently operating medical cannabis dispensaries to close by July 1st, 2016, putting an end to hundreds, if not thousands of jobs, and greatly decreasing safe access for patients. The proposal will also reduce the amount of cannabis a patient can possess by over 80%, from 24 ounces to 3, and will reduce the amount they can cultivate from 15 plants, to 6. And this is only if they enter a patient database admitting to committing a federal crime; if a patient refuses to join the database, they’ll only be able to possess an ounce, and cultivate 4 plants.
The measure will establish a medical cannabis endorsement license to be distributed by the newly-named Liquor and Cannabis Control Board, which retail outlets can apply for to demonstrate that they’re knowledgeable in the field of medical cannabis. This, however, won’t take away from the fact that many cities in the state have an outright bans on recreational cannabis outlets (but not on medical facilities), meaning many patients will now need to travel several cities over to purchase their medicine; either that, or rely on the black-market.
Sensible Washington, a nonprofit organization working since 2010 to end cannabis prohibition and the drug war in Washington State, says its legal team is examining the legality of the bill, and they may end up filing a lawsuit to have it overturned.
– TheJointBlog
Don Soward
I do not approve this proposal. Please leave the medical out of the recreational use, two different laws. NOT voted into one.
David Stephen Ball-Romney
Shall we go with a good idea or a bad idea? Apparently our the State of Washington has decided upon a compromise which mixes the two and benefits nobody except for the black market.
What would happen if anybody over the age of 18 could grow a few plants themselves and possess as much product as they liked? The prices would plummet, major coffee chains like Starbucks would start to sell it, we would waste no money on enforcement and criminals would have to find another cash crop, but nobody would be harmed, not really.
When our government wastes time and money on laws like SB 5052, people on both sides of the issue have less faith in our government.
Naomi Rhoads
Shame Washington and Governor Inslee. We thought better of you. This is an extremely BAD move. On the one hand it compels those who are using medical cannabis to treat a complaint to travel more frequently and likely further to get the remedy they need. That, if they are suffering, is hard to do and totally lacks compassion.
From a business point of view, retailers went into business, making an investment, hiring employees…..and you are invalidating this for many of them. That seems completely unfair.
Unless and until tobacco and alcohol are BANNED, to place ANY restrictions on cannabix buying and selling is absolutely hypocritical and it appears to be kowtowing to: the pharmaceutical industry, the tobacco and alcohol lobbies, big business medicine (for profit institutions)…….and brainwashed readers of phony studies concocted by researchers paid by the former industries to come up with faked substantiation of their presentations of cannabis as hazardous which it is not. SHAME. This is a sufficient issue to vote out all who voted for this measure.
David Miller
So I’ve not been able to find any WSLCB regs or laws either limiting the amount of home production or finished & stored personal use alcohol. Neither was I able to find any of those regarding home/personal use registration by those who do. Also since the federal government is not getting involved in stopping states medical marijuana programs why the hell is the state legislature, senate, governor or whoever wanting to get medical patient users to admit to a federal crime in order to be able to have their preferred medicine in quantities they need ? It all looks totally wrong to me ! Especially as most people with knowledge know and acknowledge that marijuana is and always wasn’t as potentially harmful to health as alcohol and in fact has been proven to have substantial health benefits for a lot of people ! This is a bad piece of legislation and should be thrown out as it does more harm than good and does away with legal rights and freedom of choice ! Laws that are expedient for government operation do not justify infringement on those things. It also appears to me again a case of preferential treatment of alcohol production and consumption because it’s been legal for so long ?
Seniors MMJ Network
Medical patients are undoubtedly the losers with SB-5052. Washington Initiative 692 was passed in 1998 by the voters at 59%. Now lawmakers are changing the rules drastically, Medical Marijuana has roughly 80% support in Washington.
Currently medical patients are allowed 15 plants and 24 ounces of dried flower, which is considered a “60 day supply” (enacted 2008). Under this new measure, six plants and three ounces of dried flower – IF they decide to register with the state and obtain a new DR. recommendation. With less outlets and less home supply, Seniors who have limited mobility risk shortages.
I see a lot of good in this bill but I can’t get around the legislature reducing patient rights that were voted into place. #protectTHEpatients – http://www.seniorsmmjnetwork.com/
David
Peachy. What a banana republic of a State. Washington lawmaker’s just destroyed a pioneering 17 year old medical marijuana law. This, so a handful of politically connected billionaire’s/ millionaire vulture-capitalists can make even more money, this time, upon the backs of the sick and dying.
I hope this terrible law will eventually been litigated out of existence. Those responsible for this travesty should not be rewarded. I strongly encourage all medical patients to BOYCOTT OF ALL I-502 RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA STORES !
What I find particularly galling is lawmaker’s use of the laughable (if it were not so tragic) nom de plume, ” The Washington Patient Protection Act” , when in truth this regressive law, does anything but protect sick medical patients.
Pam
This is a sad day indeed. A fuxxed part of this bill and hb2136 is the increase in penalty from misdemeanor or class c to class b felony; for growing plants even with mmj auth but not registered or giving mmj to auth patient who is not on the registry. Another bad part is requiring the cashier at a retail store to enter the patients new authorization into the auth database, like why wouldn’t the authorizing health care provider do that? ridiculous reason in policy making. Only explanation is who stands behind Inslee on the signing photo.
Absolutely removes affirmative defense but allows for incarceration of mmj pt who has auth but not on registry.
It has been emotionally draining figuring out which policy maker is spinning which truthiness when we meet about mmj. As an aspiring business person one can only be patient and keep jumping through these illogical hoops.
One year to figure it out folks!
meschief
Can we have a RECALL Election for INSLEE??
Danyel Hoskins-Miley
You governor Inslee have done nothing but make it impossible for medical patients to get what they need to live. You are a idiot that has no thought for the people you supposidly represent. You belong in the same trash bag as the Republican douchebags that started this process. State greed rears it’s ugly head once again.
Ann Barri
Someone’s got a LOT of property set aside to grow ‘medical marijuana’ in that state. Find out who that is and expose them.
David
Your query about who’s buying/bought all of the medical grows? It’s this man who’s allegedly : Martin Tobias’s, he’s supposed to be the man behind the curtain.
happy farmer
Sounds like more money to the growers. Anytime supply is decreased I make more money.
Anonymous
Fuck off you are part of the problem.
Gary Sexton
Gov.Inslee you sold out medical patients.l fought hard to elect you .I will now fight even harder to make you a 1 term gov.
Anonymous
Be careful who you elect next time.
Catherine Barrows
Mr. Inslee can now be added to the list of sleazy silver tongued politicians who will say whatever it takes to get into office then turn around and screw his constituents in the behind.
You sir are an idiot and a fraud! Don’t think the voters will take this lying down, no pun intended as this ridiculousness with criminalizing marijuana has to end. Instead of denying your fellow humans access to the medicine they desperately need put your energy into gun control, police brutality, our dangerous & outdated infrastructure, the list of far more important things goes on & on.
michael maye
Hasnt this shit gone far enough, I wonder who has stock in some pharmaceuticals, When people act like there God, something is wrong, and for this uncompassionate asshole is just hurting many , how can he live with himself. Shame people like this is getting away with these crimes of humanity.
fuck you governor Inslee
Jay Inslee governor of washington FUCK YOU and your Senate Bill 5052 you think your helpping but your not your just fucking it up for everyone in the state of washington you are commiting entrapment and treason as well as tryin to track us by putting us in a database FUCK YOU who you working with cia nsa dea fbi people like you make me hate this country n im sick of it hypocritical cock sucking government we have in this country
PooPoo
You mad, bro?
Anonymous
Boom!
Val
Right THE FUCK ON! He’ll never get another vote from the entirety of WA Medical Marijuana and Rec. user’s in the State of WA. I’ve never been more disappointed in Democrat’s. It was the Democrats who pushed this bill and the Republican’s were against it! Go figure. It’s the money chaser’s. And Inslee was bought.
David
It was Republican authored bill. 5052 would have been much worse had the Democrats not stopped the Republican / law-enforcements wet-dream of making the patient registry MANDATORY . The Democrats are still fighting the exemption, which, stop’s small town councils from banning marijuana without a vote by the public.
Without the Democrats this travesty would have been much worse.
Anonymous
Don’t like the government and this country??? GET THE FUCK OUT!!!!! and on your way out, don’t let the door hit you in your ass.
DJ
lol… yeah he’s really going to leave the country. Not!
Sean Dorman
I really don’t know what anyone expected Inslee to do, he has been against recreational and medical all along. If he could put more of a clamp down on it you bet your life he would have. Welcome to Politics in America. it’s not about the people, it’s about who can pay those cocksuckesrs to pass the laws they want.
Terry K
Looks like it is time to get a new initiative on medical and vote our needs.
growin grass
I-1372
Broke as hell so it needs all the volunteer support it can get
print them up and hand them out to dispensaries a lot of them aren’t aware of what just happened
been there
Because of this, the black market will flourish! Way to go.
Anonymous
Sure, if you want to sell ounces for 50 bucks or load up the van and head east. Have at it.
Seagram
guess your out of office soon
moldy
Recall this jerk now!
Mike
They doing that so that can tax out the state recreational medicine and get from them rather then a dispensaries at a legit price. I know I would never pay 35 a gram. Ridiculous! I get 8ths for 40 and r recreational stores trying to sell them for 105 plus tax
Anonymous
Mike, you can get 40-50 dollar eights from recreational stores all over the Seattle are this weekend if you wanted to. Why are you lying about having to pay 105 plus tax??
Anonymous
40-50 an eighth is outrageous. I pay less than 10 a gram now for quality medication. I see the same quality at the retail shop for 25+ gram. Outragouse. I’m sick not rich.
leb
So much passion, so much loss on such a hard fight To protect the suffering. Lets find a way. We always have and we always will. How many people do you know imprisoned for growing before dispensaries. There will always be medicine, we will always grow. Yes this bill is corupt to the core. We work to do what we need to do. Vote them out. Then in the mean time get to growing. Solutions. Minnie green house outdoor 4 huge plants everyone Grow. Help some grow. Grow yourself. im not young and I have never not seen weed available in any quantity. you lost round one. How many ever stayed their 15? I feel for the many people out of a job. The distance patients will have to go. There will always be cannabis because of people like you who care. We will find a way to help those in need.
PunishThisScumbag
We comin for ya gov, and we know where you are, where you live, where you drive. Better watch yo BACK
Luke Kobilan
It looks like they’re trying to implement a medical cannabis system similar to that of Colorado’s. WA state should work better with dispensary owners on the transition to make it smoother and less painful for everyone. Who needs to possess 24 ounces anyway? When laws are unjust, it is our duty to disobey those laws! So be proud to admitting to committing a federal crime.
anonymous
The ACLU was behind this bill and helped write it. I can no longer support them or Governor Inslee.
David
I believe the ACLU lost a lot of supporters in supporting this terrible anti-medical marijuana law. They lost mine.
Susan
I finally found something that works for my 43 yr old Autistic daughter who is also Bi-polar and the f-ing politicians got to get involved. I would like to lock up Inslee in a room with my daughter when she rages 24/7 and then ask him what he thinks about medical marijuana. What a dick.
Daniel Reigns
This is precisely why all of the veteran MMJ communities were screaming “vote no on 502”. But all those dipshits just legal marijuana without reading between the lines. If the only place u can get weed is from a recreational weed shop i.e. The government then maybe work on your hustle or quit smoking. Instead of ruining it for people who really need it. This won’t happen anyway but it opens the door. What did y’all think would happen when you put the government in control.
David
Daniel Reigns:
5052 was a terrible bill from the Start. What more could we expect coming from a cannabis hating Republican State Senate ? Just because it’s “the government” doesn’t necessarily make something bad. It’s the kind of government we choose as voter’s that makes that distinction.
Washington had the lowest voter turn-out since the late 1940’s during the Nov. 2014 elections. It’s the people whom we elect that matter’s , we are the government, or, at least we’re supposed to be, if not for the people who don’t vote yet complain loudest when things don’t go their way.
heather bodin
Well this year I legally vote as a united states citizen. Free country?? Im a bit confused….I will not be voting for inslee. I’d love to have 10 minutes with him, he would definitely see what cannibas has done for me. I’m appalled. Admit to a federal crime I don’t think so. I worked hard for what I have …
David
Heather
Congratulations on obtaining your right to vote. The author of this awful legislation and the person most responsible is Senator Anne River’s Republican, La Center. You might look to see how your District’s Senator and House member voted. The Governor signed this ugly Bill but remember, that’s all he does. State legislators’ make and pass State law.
Without Inslee’s veto pen this would have been even worse. Law enforcement demanded (and in fact anticipated) the Governor out law all patient co-op grows. He reused. They (law enforcement are as angry the MMJ community they can’t confiscate medical patient’s property in what they had hoped was their return to the bad old days of asset forfeiture. Knowing they’re so angry makes me feel warm and fuzzy.
yes on I-1372
I 1372 is medicals only hope to squash 5052. Cppwa.org more info i1372 needs 300k signatures to get on this years ballot
Anonymous
Total bullshit we voted it in and the federal government said they won’t interfere. ..this is government wanting all profits and sin tax. Not okay when your regular doctor puts you on this rather than have us with serious medical issues and have been on pain pills for 20 years. ..which is worse the pills of course. They damage the organs, medical marajauna has allowed me to cut my pain meds to 1/4 of what I was on…and the hope is to get off all pills. …I’m not a criminal. .I’m a patient trying to have a better quality of life. This issue needs to be fought. ..
Dak Kol
time to PETITION UNRESPONSIVE LEADERS AND JUDGES OUT OF OFFICE NOW – our families and children cannot wait any longer. Do no wait for another election and play their teaser game of politics. FIRE THEM and REPLACE THEM NOW.
Anonymous
I can’t agree with you more. When it is prescribed by your doctor it should not be a crime. Pills make money for the big drug companies. Marijuana does not line the big medical industries pockets. Sad when our governor would rather see people take pain medications rather than use marijuana which is natural.
Sam
The Government wants total control and money.
Same ole Shit…..
Anonymous
Screw politics screw inslee
kevin loft
Shove that lisp up your ass inslee
Lorna zabel
Wow!!! The state is turning down an unbelievable amount of tax dollars!!?? REALLY?
Aaron
Actually, there is no tax dollars from medical pot. That’s why they’re making these changes, so there is some oversight, and so medical pot will be taxed at the same rate as recreational.
David
Aaron:
Why would a state pass a law that crushes an already financially strapped cancer patient with a 37% excise tax ?. Greed, and a total lack of compassion for the sick. I’m moving to state with no plan to legalize. One still having a strong MMJ law and dispensaries. I’ll never set foot in a recreational pot store. no matter how sick I become.
Cindy
This a a horrible Tragedy, what the hell is wrong with this, why isn’t it being put to a Vote for the people of Washington, Why is it a Bill? This just goes to Show Us all the sneaky ways that Our State Government thinks about the people of this State, Let’s just PASS A BILL and say Fuck you to the people of Washington, cuz what are they going to do? Well for one I will never ever Vote for another Government official that stands only for the Big Monopoly companies that pay their ways like Oil Companies , Pharmacuticial Companies ETC. How much are they paying you Mr. Bought Governor ? What the hell is wrong with you, are you a man for sale. Well hear this, WE THE PEOPLE OF WASHINGTON, WILL SEE YOU IN COURT… Impeach Governor Inslee, before he sells out the people of this state any farther…
Brandon Scott Neily
Fuck the government and the whole judicial and political backbone of this country. All they are is a bunch of rich crooked fucks that should all just go kill themselves and do the rest of the country a favor.Amen
Indica Bob
Ill break it anyway so the jokes on them
Indica Bob
The state wants full control They have a medical price of 35 an eighth and recreational at 65. They want to set prices high for recreational while medical is low so they dont get the sales they want. What they dont realize is people will break marijuana laws while theyre trying to limit the quantity of marijuana in circulation. What they dont realize is even Colorado is reducing their prices and theyre a tourist state. Nobody wants to pay outrageous prices for a product that cost. .25 a gram to produce
David
Indica Bob
Colorado doesn’t have a lock on tourism. Have you seen the 10 story high cruise ships berthed in Elliott Bay in the early summer throughout fall ? This is why the State legislature passed a bill they knew was terrible knowing the Governor would sign it. It was all about tourists money. 5052 was a big F’ you to Washington’s medical patients who live here and pay state taxes all year long.
Colorado has their own version of Washington’s Cannabussiness Association undermining it’s law even as we speak. These same vulture-capitalist’s also have their eye’s set upon Oregon too. Washington’s LCB’s total bungling of it’s recreational roll-out merely made it an easy first pick. Every state that legalizes from now on is going to have to eventually deal with a greedy few who contributed nothing toward changing their state and national marijuana policy until there was easy money to be made for doing absolutely nothing.
swizzy
Kill all the politicians and start over. Its the American way
Jeff
Like it!
Louis
Or you guys could just move to Colorado. We do it better here anyways.
David
Louis:
Landlocked = No Ocean, No beaches, No fun
Anonymous
This is a sensible progression of our legal marijuana system in Washington. This bill works for anyone with a true medical need that actually grows or buys mj for PERSONAL use.
For the people crying about this – grow up and maybe look for a real job. The mmj profiteers didn’t vote for 502 and no one cares if you boycott 502. No one needs bottom feeders anyway.
bob
Gotta love the 502 cowards.
Most of the 502 morons didn’t know how to run a business and so blame their ineptitude on MMJ.
Time to start the whole Cannabis movement over. Outlaw 502!!!
bob
What a jackass.
The fix is in you fool. Its not the patients fault you started a 502 business without even having the business experience of running a lemonade stand.
Next stop for 502….Proctor and Gamble, monsanto, and the Altria group.
anonymous
Your a complete moron
Tom
More of the same from our communist leaders.
NWO Communism by the Backdoor by Dennis Wise
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSYOyNvCFPQ
We’ve been usurped, we are under the communist rule of the Rothschild cartel.
The US is a corporation, not a nation. We need to wake people up to the real
threat and it’s not Muslims or Iran.
“Our power has been created through the manipulation of the national monetary system. We authored the quotation. ‘Money is power.’ As revealed in our master plan, it was essential for us to establish a private national bank. The Federal Reserve system fitted our plan nicely since it is owned by us, but the name implies that it is a government institution. From the very outset, our purpose was to confiscate all the gold and silver, replacing them with worthless non-redeemable paper notes. This we have done!”
Israel’s 1962-1963 US Public Relations Plan
With JFK out of the way, the New World Order could continue…
Our battle is tyranny vs liberty….everything else is a distraction.
moldy
True but sad.
Eff That
Actually this is rightwing style fascism doof. Govt by control of corporations, nothing communist going on here, you need to read some books.
Daniel
“A patient registry”….or in other words, a list of people the government keeps. People who have broken no laws. People’s who’s protected associations with their physicians are now the purview of who? Why? To what end and above all…BY WHAT RIGHT?
Anonymous
Hey in the end it’s all about money with are politicians an government !
Anonymous
Hey in the end it’s all about money with are government .An corporate control which are backing these politicians ime sure their are a lot of politicians that comprimise for their personnel beliefs , hell I comprimise for my kid an family in the end it’s all about family !
Sylvia Ruiz-lee
this absolutely sucks…going backwards instead of forward and inflicting as much pain as possible along the way for all involved…..
john
It says legal team is examining the legality of the bill, and they may end up filing a lawsuit to have it overturned.
sam
Hope you all kept your old connections phone numbers…..
Kirk
Why? Just go to the rec store and buy almost any type of weed you want. Prices are not bad and worth it for the quality.
TheJointBlog
Hi Kirk,
The problem with that – which is a good idea in theory – is a majority of cities in Washington State don’t allow recreational cannabis outlets. The percentage of jurisdictions that allow dispensaries, on the other hand, is much higher.
Kirk
I hear you but what good is that if you don’t have a medical authorization and don’t want to have to pretend your sick to get one? I doubt there is any solution that will make everyone happy…
Anonymous
Kirk
Whether a person has or doesn’t have a medical authorization is irrelevant if there is no location for them to purchase medical marijuana. Many of the very sick( those with advanced cancer for instance), are to ill to grow and rely mainly upon either a designated caregiver or the kindness of friends to obtain their medicine for them. The state enacting a medical program which contravenes an existing 17 year old law already in existence makes no sense unless the purpose was to intentionally destroy that existing earlier MMJ law, or to reward a few politically connected business people. Both end with the same negative result, the truly suffering patients get screwed.l
Jeff
Kirk – reason 1 – Many small towns in areas other than Puget Sound have no rec pot. reason 2 – The price is too high for MMJ patients. reason 3 – it severely restricts MMJ patients who prefer to know exactly what is in their pot by growing it them selves or have someone they know & trust growing their meds. reason 4 – Rec Pot is inferior. They have a stockplie of rec pot grown outdoors and it sucks big time.
Kirk – I didn’t have to make up a reason to get my green card. I have cancer and have found a higher quality of like with MMJ. I too think there are too may people working the MMJ system to just grow or sell weed.
Cancer lives matter. Keep INSLEE away from my MMJ
angela
I think it’s unfair and bull and don’t life in Washington but I have a aunt that is very sick and moved to Washington to stay alive and at 90 lb she is getting better
Anonymous
Kill the fuckhead while he libes
William
The drug cartels are losing too much money, and the fix is in.
sharpin LA
So who’s lobbying this – big pharma, big alcohol or the illicit drug dealers? All three fill the pockets of the scumbag politicians.
David
Sharpin LA:
Lobbying was done on behalf of Washington’s recreational store owner’s who purchased their store license’s via a Washington State lottery. This lottery comprising a total number of 334 license’s ; soon became the objects of most value. Even now, as many in the weakest business, tryi to survive in a broken, teetering state recreational store system. This, a result of an over-regulated, over-taxed recreational system. There are currently one or two individual’s with enough cash to buy up any and all existing store license’s.
Many of these smaller store owner’s and grower’s are going broke. It’s economics 101 with a few big fish gobbling up many of the small fish as they sink to the bottom of the tank.. The estimate last week was that there was still 80,000 LBS of unsold outdoor grown product. The State LCB,which oversees the recreational stores did nothing to correct subsequent license sales by a very few wealthy individuals. It didn’t have to be this bungled and mishandled from the start.
Gus
So the article says SB 5052 is now law. Does the bill go anywhere else now (like the house) or is it just part of the law now?
Thanks
Anonymous
The Washington Republican Senate (Heaven help us all) offered a striker Bill 2036 which means the original Republican Senate Bill killing medical marijuana in Washington now must go back to the Democrat run state House of Representatives. It appears they’re all convinced this session, that passing even a terrible bill is preferable to them passing nothing. The left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing
elmnope
This is why I didn’t vote for 502. What a effing joke this state is. Take your registry and shove it, enslee. You are a one term fecal floater…circling the bowl. Can’t wait to flush that shit.
Jeff
Time to head for Oregon. Never thought I’d leave Washington, but getting greedy over weed? Really?
John Mason
When you’re ready to move let me know, I’ll help you pack. GTFO.
Eff That
Ignorant scum.
Anonymous
Hey fuck you Johnny boy