Why Washington’s I-502 Is Being Fought By Patients

(Photo credit: effjohn/Flickr)

Recreational users may look forward to the implementation of I-502, but many patients aren’t happy with the legislation and are now fighting back.

Yesterday, on the opening day of the state’s 2014 Legislative session, a group of patients, doctors and caregivers introduced a bill outlining their proposed changes to Washington’s new marijuana system.

Backed by Americans for Safe Access, House Bill 2233 aims to fix many of the shortcomings of the Liquor Control Board’s final recommendations, which include restrictions on qualifying medical conditions, the elimination of “collective gardens,” possession and cultivation limits, and excise taxes.

In the Senate, long-time medical marijuana advocate Jeanne Kohl-Welles, a Democratic senator, is also planning to introduce a bill.

Kohl-Welles told Business Insider that her proposal would give patients authorization to purchase marijuana without paying taxes. She also wants to expand the number of stores permitted under I-502, currently capped at around 300.

Only 21 of these are allotted to Seattle, despite the fact that over 150 medical marijuana dispensaries operate in the city today. Most of these dispensaries will likely be forced to close once I-502 rules take over.

Even with medical marijuana’s proliferation in Washington in recent years, state law has always been ambiguous on the issue – something that I-502 was meant to fix.

The last major overhaul happened in 2011, when Kohl-Welles managed to push a comprehensive reform bill through the state legislature. But before then-Governor Christine Gregoire signed the bill, she vetoed many of its most important clauses, which Kohl-Welles says left her “furious.”

With I-502 licenses to be issued by mid-year, now could be the last chance for patient advocates such as Kohl-Welles to achieve medical marijuana reform in Washington. She expects to see a “wide array” of bills, some that will aim to eliminate medical marijuana completely.

Although Kohl-Welles admits it’s uncertain how the Legislature will vote, the senator says current I-502 provisions will likely cause prices to rise. If this were to happen, it would push both recreational and medical users toward the black market, she says.

Source Leaf Science