Washington State House of Representatives Approves Proposal to Gut Medical Cannabis Law
With a 67 to 29 vote, Washington State’s House of Representatives has given approval to House Bill 2149, a proposal to drastically alter the state’s medical cannabis law. The measure now moves to the
Senate, where its passage will send it to the governor for consideration.
Under the proposed law, medical cannabis patients will be forced to join a mandatory patient registry in order to be provided with any legal protection, a move that advocates of medical cannabis have denounced, claiming it to be an invasion of privacy, as well as a safety risk, given it will establish a list – including individual addresses – of those participating in a federally illegal program.
House Bill 2149 would also drastically reduce the amount of cannabis a patient is allowed to possess and cultivate. Under current Washington State law, a qualified patient, or their caregiver, can possess up to 24 ounces of cannabis, and can cultivate up to 15 plants; House Bill 2149 would, without any legitimate reason, reduce the limit to 3 ounces, and 3 plants.
The proposal would also do-away with collective gardens entirely, establishing a system where only those already licensed with the Liquor Control Board (to sell recreational cannabis) can receive a license to also distribute medical cannabis; this means that there would be no stand-alone medical cannabis safe access points, and medical cannabis would fall under the same hefty tax rate (25% at three different levels) as recreational cannabis.
Representative Cary Condotta, a Republican from East Wenatchee, opposed the bill, saying it was premature because the recreational system isn’t up and running yet; he adds that the impact on medical cannabis patients should be looked at more closely.
“Right now, you’re taking everything away from them — you can’t give it back,” he said during the floor debate of the bill. “I’m a little concerned we’re moving a little too quickly without a program to integrate.”
Those in Washington State who oppose this measure should contact their district’s senators – which can be looked up by clicking here – urging them to oppose this unnecessary, unasked for and regressive proposal.
– TheJointBlog
TA
Unfortunately, many politicians have an insatiable appetite for power and control of the people, through any means available to them, (taxes, property, natural resources, health care, etc.). They are servants of the people… not dictators.
Linda
Please do not pass this bill, the prescription, and user deserves the same as any prescription between doctor and person. Not the liquor control board, this is not recreational, besides there is no laws governing amounts one is able to purchase of booze. Why the restriction?
Rachel
why the restriction? because it’s illegal in the rest of the country! think about it.
Kevin
wrong. because the state wants all of the profits on the sale of cannabis. period.
DJ
Argumentum ad numerum (argument or appeal to numbers). Just because something is “illegal” does not mean it’s right
Margaret d. Stockton
Reject HB2149! It is regressive and uncalled for! rcw 69.51 was what the people in this state voted for to protect MMJ patients – LEAVE IT ALONE. 1-502 was never intended to restrict the rights of MMJ patients. Recreational and medical marijuana are two entirely different subjects. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DONT IMPACT Rcw 61.59 it has helped sooooooo many of us who can’t take traditional Rx. I, and sooo many like me, have found relief thru MMJ, when everything else was making me sooooo sick. PLEZ!
pat pardis
Another example of the the legislatures over-riding the will of the people. Arrogant bastards.
Steve
Horrible plan to set us back when we just moved ahead of most states! Please say no to the bill so that WA can remain a voice of reason.
Anonymous
government destroys what ever it touches ….can you say $30 a gram?
Jennifer
Please do not place us Medical people with the recreational users! rcw 69.51 was what the people in this state voted for to protect MMJ patients – LEAVE IT ALONE. 1-502 was never intended to restrict the rights of MMJ patients. Recreational and medical marijuana are two entirely different subjects! This is going to cost us medically a lot of money and distress. Why do we have to stand in line to get our medical while recreational is purchasing the fun stuff, and we just want our medicine for pain, cancer, ms, and more. Why will u have a registration for medical? and recreational will not! Our medical Marijuana was passed some time ago, and we had no problem with that, Now you are messing up the Medical side!!!! Keep us separate and we should have NO TAXES, we do not pay taxes for a regular prescription, so why are u going to SUCK THE MONEY OUT OF US!!! The liquor control board does NOT belong in this issue of MEDICAL!!! Our Gov. Ensley is all for this also, by putting us all in one, as he does not to make this a difficult issue, He wants to make this easy for him as long as he is in office. I wish I had never voted for him!
Travis
The few who had acquired a license with the Liquor Control Board, would no longer have competition.
Otherwise, I do not see how this benefits anyone else.
chuck
I drive medical marijuana patients to & from doctor appointments around Seattle. My companies name is “CHRONIC CARRIAGES;Lifting You Up,After You’ve Landed”. What really eats me are all these politicians making decisions on a subject they know NOTHING about. IT IS A PLANT. But the greedy bastard politicians have got to get their greedy paws on everything.A medical marijuana patient has every right to medicate while being driven to their doctors too.How many car accidents involved people on some kind of pharmaceutical pill ?? People should be allowed to grow their own medicine. FUCK THE GOVERNMENT !
Wildweed
So the state is going to pay for my marijuana like my other medications seeing as how I am fixed/low income disabled person? Think about this, Senators!
Doc Deadhead
In Michigan we are allowed 2 1/2 ounces and 12 plants per patient, caregivers can provide for 5 patients for a total of 72 plants and 15 ounces of ‘useable'(dry enough to burn) plant material.
We are restricted to the point if we stay within the guidelines we can barely pay the light bill.
Think about it, only 15 ounces of useable means harvesting only 5 ounces a week, dried and cured for only 14 days and gone before the next(3rd) harvest dries enough to be ‘useable’.
Pretty hard to supply 6 chronic pain folks with so little product and that’s if everything is perfect. Most of the time we have to have the patients finish curing in order to comply.
3 ounces and 3 plants just won’t work and that’s what the bigots are planning on.
Brandy R. Lucas
Hello everyone,
My name is Brandy R. Lucas and I am a Cannabis activist.
I am sure everyone has heard the horror story of proposed house bill 2149 in Washington State.
If anyone in Washington is concerned about this especially if your a medical patient, I have created a petition I will be sending to the senate. Sign it and pass it along. Here is the link for it here:
http://www.change.org/petitions/washington-state-senate-stop-house-bill-2149-from-passing-in-the-washington-state-senate#share
Also you can find a link on my Facebook and my significant other: Brandy Lucas and Christian Douglas RadCliff
And on one other note, I am also gathering testimonies of Medical Patients statewide. I will be sending those testimonies to Senate. If you would like to write one, you are welcome to send it to to my email:
brandylucas42@gmail.com
Some things to add to the testimony would be how cannabis has helped you medically, how the closure of medical coops will affect you, and the reduction in both medicine you can buy and plants you can grow.
Thank you for your time and support,
Brandy R. Lucas
Brandy R. Lucas
Here is is a petition me and my other half made, please sign. Also if you want to email me testimonies on how medical cannabis has had and continues to have a positive message and how this bill will affect you it will be appreciated. Here is my email : brandylucas42@gmail.com
Brandy R. Lucas
Here is the link to the petition:
http://www.change.org/petitions/washington-state-senate-stop-house-bill-2149-from-passing-in-the-washington-state-senate#share
I will send this petition in to the senate against house bill 2149.
And I will also send the testimonies in to the senate as well, my goal is to try to reach a 1000 testimonies.
Please spread the word. Email me with any questions! Thank you fellow Cannabis Family!
Bradley Branaman
They just don’t get it….yet! Sad, sad, so unfortunate people still have to tolerate this ignorance by the minority! WE VOTED OVER IT!!!
paul
Idiots should have made it apart of the state constitution like we did in Colorado.
Rational thinker
Hi idiots. It is ironic that some commenters allege that ‘the state wants AAALLLL the profits from ALLL the cannabis.” Guess what- the state has never had an interest in taxing MMJ. Nor did the state have any interest in being forced to enact, implement, and pay millions and millions of dollars (some being tax dollars, but i suspect taxes are no big thing when you don’t have to pay them, huh, ‘medical collectives?’) no, the radical speakeasy underground rairoad is paved by the compassionate medicine people (posers) selling marijuana illegally (I’m sorry, i mean they merely pass the savings on using the verrrry small ‘nonprofit’ (right) ‘collectives’ (right) to ease the pain of many suffering people (tenth of a fraction of a tenth of them be walkin in your doors, ‘safe access point’ volunteers (oops, I mean entrepreneurs)- and who are the rest of your ‘patients?’ Well, maybe they want to buy decent pot. Fine. But don’t pretend that your dispensaries will be any less expensive than your retail counterparts. In fact, I think the outrage here is that you all know that MMJ is going the way of the monorail. By the way- remember ( i know it’s hard but try) that 502 only happened- would not have happened otherwise- because the majority (52%) of the voters who showed their faces during that local election voted YES. Therefore, the legislature must enact the initiative into law. That’s it. Read the initiate. Better yet, read up on Washington’s citizen initiave process. It sucks. Anyway, the LCB will collect taxes because the initiave says it will collect taxes. When
HB 2149 comes back this fall like a mysterious shapeshifter that you never saw coming – and believe me, it WILL come back, just look for SB this time, meaning it shall be a senate bill, just remember that this was coming long before you all voted for I 502 and basically screwed your own bank accounts. Cheers!