WA Home Grow Biull Insulting to Patients

     In 2015 when the Washington State Legislature took it upon themselves to smash the legacy medical cannabis system, there was much wringing of hands over the number of plants patients could grow. Under the previous system patients could grow a reasonable 15 plants, but worried about diversion the all knowing WA legislature cut that number down to 6, or 4, respectively. If a patient on a limited budget spends $100 to $150 for a recommendation alone, they can grow four measly plants. If they take the extra step and get registered, patients can grow 6 plants, but good luck finding plants/clones or seeds. It’s nearly impossible to find clones on the regulated system.

     Now along comes the WSLCB, who for some reason people forget were voted out of existence the same year cannabis was legalized in 2012, with their legislative mandated home grow feasibility study. They presented 3 options to the Democratic controlled legislature. Option 1 and 2 both require permits to grow four sad plants, with plan 2 relying on a bit more skull f^^kiry with a prevision plants must be tracked. Option 3 is just keep it like it is; only patients can grow. Here is where it is insulting.

     How much will these permits be and how will people get them. Right now it’s nearly impossible to find a doctor to recommend cannabis. If you get the recommendation, it’s expensive. Then if a patient actually wants to have enough plants to provide for themselves, they have to take ANOTHER step to get registered on a database. So, now under the new plans just any old WA person will be able to get a permit. I bet they’ll be able to buy them online, easy peasy. Suddenly clones will be easy to get. Meanwhile, patients, who remember have a condition that renders them debilitated, have been struggling to find plants, find doctors, afford recommendations, navigate fear of registration and many other problems related to medical cannabis. All with little to no relief from Olympia. If Washington was truly the caring state it pretends to be patients would get their 15 plants back, while citizens could grow 4 or 6 plants, without any permit. As written today, the 3 proposals are insulting to patients struggling to provide medicine for themselves.

           

WSLCB to Hold Recreational Cannabis Home Grow Hearing

     The LCB announced last week a hearing concerning recreational cannabis home grows. To avoid a large turnout they scheduled it during a regular meeting. Below, they even say there may not be enough parking or space for people to attend. They are outline three Options. None provide the access needed by medical marijuana patients. The public should be able to grow cannabis at their home without a permit. Plant limits make sense, but won't solve the diversion problem. Only full legalization will solve that problem.



From the LCB Website
"Liquor and Cannabis Board to hold public hearing on recreational marijuana home grows
Liquor and Cannabis Board to hold public hearing on recreational marijuana home grows
Agency tasked by new law to conduct study and make recommendations to Legislature by Dec. 1, 1017
OLYMPIA – The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) will hold a public hearing on Wed. Oct. 4, 2017, to receive public input on whether the State should allow home grows of recreational marijuana. The public hearing is during the regularly scheduled 10:00 a.m. Board meeting at its headquarters at 3000 Pacific Avenue in Olympia. Due to space and parking restrictions, the WSLCB encourages written public comment. Written public comment may be submitted by email through Oct. 11, 2017 at rules@lcb.wa.gov(link sends e-mail) or hard copy at PO Box 43080, Olympia, WA 98504.
Legislation enacted in 2017 directs the WSLCB to “conduct a study of regulatory options for the legalization of marijuana plant possession and cultivation by recreational marijuana users.” The study must take into account the “Cole Memo,” issued by the United State Department of Justice in 2013, which outlines the federal government’s enforcement priorities in states where medical or recreational marijuana has been legalized or decriminalized. The study and recommendations are due to the Legislature on Dec. 1, 2017
“The agency is actively engaging other states, the public, the industry and stakeholders. We know there are many perspectives to this issue and we want to ensure they are captured for our report and recommendations,” said agency director Rick Garza.
The WSLCB is seeking input on three options at the public hearing
• Option 1: Tightly Regulated Recreational Marijuana Home Grows
◦ This option allows recreational home grows under a strict state regulatory framework based on the Cole Memo:
◦ Requires a permit;
◦ Four plants maximum per household;
◦ All plants must be entered into the state traceability system;
◦ Requirements for security, preventing youth access, preventing diversion, etc.;
◦ Jurisdiction is shared between WSLCB and local authorities
◦ Statutory provision that allows law enforcement to seize and destroy all plants if beyond limit;
◦ Allows recreational growers to purchase plants from licensees as long as growers have a permit;
◦ Same restrictions on processing marijuana that apply to medical marijuana (no combustible processing).
• Option 2: Local Control of Recreational Marijuana Home Grows
◦ This option is based on statewide standards including requirements for security, preventing youth access, preventing diversion, etc.;
◦ Limits plants to 4 per household;
◦ Allows recreational growers to purchase plants from licensees as long as growers have a permit.
◦ Requires a permit to possess plants.
• Difference from Option 1
◦ Does not require plants to be entered into traceability
◦ State sets minimum requirements. Local jurisdictions can be more restrictive.
◦ Authorized, controlled, and enforced by local jurisdictions;
◦ Home grows are prohibited without local permission;
• Option 3. Recreational Home Grows are Prohibited
◦ This option preserves the status quo. Recreational home grows continue to remain prohibited:
◦ A regulated market exists today with statewide access;
◦ Recreational home grows may provide a cover for diversion;
◦ The Cole Memo is concerned with diversion, youth access, and the criminal element;
◦ Home grows for medical marijuana are allowed as well as cooperatives.
Among the eight states that have legalized recreational marijuana, Washington is the only state that does not allow marijuana home grows. Washington allows authorized patients to have limited grows for medical purposes or to be part of a four-member medical marijuana cooperative if the cooperative registers with the WSLCB and the local jurisdiction does not object.
Those wishing to view the public hearing may watch via WebEx. The live link will be posted to the Board Meeting webpage of the WSLCB website at lcb.wa.gov at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting.

Americans for Safe Access Steps up to Help Fight the Opiate Crisis

The opiate crisis has hit record levels in recent years. Whether it is the spike in overdoses, the increased crime associated with street drugs or the increase in homelessness due to addiction, everyone agrees from DC to California that something needs to be done. More and more that something looks to be cannabis. Studies have shown that states with medical cannabis have a 25% decrease in opiate related deaths. Many people are turning to cannabis instead of opiates for pain relief. Some studies have shown cannabis is a great tool for helping people endure opiate withdrawals to help them get clean. Now Americans for Safe Access is starting a program to help get labs certified to increase the availability of properly tested cannabis to help fight the opiate crisis.

     ASA will be offering free Patient Focused Certification for cannabis testing labs. They cite the fact many labs don’t have the financial resources to be certified and having properly tested and labeled cannabis is sometimes a barrier for patients. Jahan Marcu PhD, the head of Patient Focused Certification, said. “By increasing the number of certified labs, we can

Increase the availability of accurately tested and labeled medical cannabis, ensuring that this

Medicine is available to patients as an option instead of opioids.”

“If the relationship between medical cannabis laws and opioid overdose mortality is to be leveraged,

The enactment of PFC’s free assessment and certification program for medical cannabis laboratories

Will help the move towards the full realization of the benefits of medical cannabis on public health.

     Labs will need to pass a two step certification process that involves a facility inspection and a review of employee training records, method verifications and other documentation related to cannabis testing. To apply labs can click here.  

Washingtn Patients Can Finally by Plants for Their Gardens

     Since Washington State was one of the first states in the US to legalize medical cannabis, it was shocking to see how bad medical patients were treated after the state legalized cannabis with the passage of I 502. The legislature in Olympia, squandering an opportunity for good will and cooperation, broke one of the best medical cannabis systems in the world when they passed SB 5052 in 2015. The disastrous bill, also known as the Cannabis Patient Pain and Suffering Act, was passed with the objections of most medical cannabis activist and patients in the state. The act led to the loss of 1000’s of jobs and the disenfranchisement of medical cannabis patients all over Washington. One of the biggest screw ups of the entire bill was the fact that despite being able to grow at home patients had no way to get plants for their gardens.

     Now, finally, after the hard work of medical cannabis activist and a handful of legislators, patients or their designated providers who are registered on the Marijuana Authorization Database can buy small plants, clones and seeds from legal cannabis producers. Also, patients who aren’t registered, but have medical cannabis authorizations can buy seeds from I-502 producers. The interim rules released by the Liquor and Cannabis Board make it clear patients must arrange the pickups themselves and there are no deliveries. To pick up their small plants, clones or seeds patients must show an ID, and their registration cards or authorization paperwork. They may pick up as many plants as they are authorized to grow each month. However, they must wait 24 hours after arranging the sale to pick up the small plants, clones or seeds from the licensed producer.

     If you are a producer who would like to sell small plants, clones or seeds to medical cannabis patients in WA, please email the MMCWS at emailmmcws@gmail.com . We are putting together a list of willing producer participants.

What About Medical Cannabis Patients

What about the Patients?

      Recently, the legalization of adult use recreational cannabis in Nevada has brought to the for front an issue many legal states have struggled with. As cannabis becomes legal, often the needs of the medical cannabis patients of the state are put on the back burner in favor of recreational cannabis. Patients struggle with new regulations, cannabis shortages and outrageous price increases. All the while the fact many have debilitating conditions is over looked by regulators and the media and patients are left to fend for themselves.

     Nevada’s problems arise from an issue with distribution. Due to hastily written regulations, there is no one to restock the shelves once retail shops run out. In the Silver State, the high prices and shortages have pushed patients back to the streets to buy their needed medicine. Unfortunately, there has been little reporting on how the misstep has effected medical cannabis patients. Oregon and Washington medical cannabis patients have suffered under newly written regulations. Citing illegal grows Colorado ended cooperative grows, joining Washington State in reducing this system of growing that has helped many suffering patients. All the new regulations, compounded by high taxes, have produced a market of scarcity, which have led directly to the higher prices.

     The problem arises when regulators think of recreational cannabis consumers and medical cannabis patients are in the same cohort. In fact, both groups are very different. with the main difference being access to disposable income. Most recreational cannabis consumers’ have jobs. Many medical cannabis patients are on Social Security, with very little extra income. The high prices often lead to patients going without, or turning to the illicit market for their cannabis. This is the very reason medical cannabis activist undertook medical legalization to begin with. And now regulators are forgetting about the very people who need cannabis the most. Regulators must think of medical cannabis patients first when they write legal cananbis regulations.           

Senators Cantwell and Murray Should Sign the CARERS Act

Senators Cantwell and Murray Should Sign the CARERS Act

      In 2015 a group of bi partisan Senators introduced the Compassionate Access, Research Expansion, and Respect States Act, or CARERS Act, in the Senate. This first of its kind bill in the Senate forbids the Federal Government from interfering with state medical cannabis laws, expands research into medical cannabis, clarifies banking rules for cannabis businesses and allows VA doctors to prescribe medical cannabis to Veterans who need the life saving plant. The bill didn’t pass in the Senate in 2015, but now it has been reintroduced in response to the new Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, latest attempt to go after cannabis.

     Democratic Senators Cory Booker, Kirstin Gillibrand, Al Franken and Republican Senators Rand Paul, Lisa Murkowski and Mike Lee Have all signed on to this historic piece of legislation, but 2 names are conspicuously missing. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell’s names are not on the bill. This despite Washington passing one of the nation’s first medical cannabis laws. This in spite of the thriving medical cannabis system that once existed in Washington. This in spite of the millions of Washingtonians who use medical cannabis. This in spite of billions of dollars being spent in the Washington economy from medical cannabis. This in spite of Washington passing one of the first recreational cannabis laws. This in spite of “fill in the blank with how medical cannabis benefits Washington”.

To ask Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray to sign their names to the CARERS Act call 202 225 3121 and follow the prompts to reach their offices. Ask them to sponsor the CARERS Act to stop Jeff Sessions from attacking medical cannabis and save Veterans lives.