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Medical Marijuana: New Washington State Quantity Limits Now in Effect

Submitted by Phillip Smith on (Issue #559)
Drug War Issues
Politics & Advocacy

New rules governing the amount of medical marijuana Washington state patients can possess and grow went into effect Sunday. After holding public hearings and consulting with law enforcement, health workers, and medical marijuana advocates, the Washington State Department of Health has set those quantities as 24 ounces of usable marijuana and up to 15 plants.

Under Washington's medical marijuana law, patients are entitled to a 60-day supply, but just what constituted a 60-day supply had not been defined until now. While the new rules should provide some guidance and protection for patients, not everyone is happy.

One medical marijuana grower told KOMO-TV News the new rules could lead to a crackdown on growers who are growing for more than one patient. The Washington law does not allow for growing co-ops. "That's a totally ridiculous way to come up with a 60-day supply," he said, noting that he has 37 plants growing in his basement.

"Our goal in the rule making was to have a final rule that provided clarity for law enforcement, for patients and physicians and meets the needs that what we believe will be the majority of medical marijuana patients in Washington," said Karen Ann Jensen, assistant secretary for health systems and quality assurance, who made the recommendation and will oversee the rules change.

Permission to Reprint: This content is licensed under a modified Creative Commons Attribution license. Content of a purely educational nature in Drug War Chronicle appear courtesy of DRCNet Foundation, unless otherwise noted.

Comments

Anonymous (not verified)

yea who to say how many plants we are to have they give out pills like candy by the hundereds and dont even bat an eye even know it kills thousands of people every year beacaue of doctors just writing pills subscriptions for anyone and everyone when all we are doin is growing somthing that is natural from the earth already wich casues 0 deaths per year and brings people closer gives some poeple that little bit of goodness in there life to make them feel decent just for that minute people who are dieng that just want to smoke a little and feel that bit of relaxtion and relief in life and they are trying to say how much and how we got to do this and that just let the people who are privillaged to posses there card do what they gotta do to have an atiqutie amount for there needs just like any other medicine LEAVE US ALONE CRACK DOWN ON THE PILLS FOR A CHANGE PEOPLE ARE DIEING DAILY

Tue, 12/09/2008 - 9:17pm Permalink
Anonymous420 (not verified)

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

I'm assuming this is just some troll, but if you are for real... It's idiots like you that give us stand-up potheads a bad name. You do nothing but hinder the advancement by posting unintelligible misspelled garbage in the form of a long winded rant. Good day sir.
Sun, 10/10/2010 - 6:32pm Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

I think mary jane is a very good thing for us young lads

Mon, 11/10/2008 - 12:56pm Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

How are medical marijuana users able to get the herb?The DEA seem to close every outlet, causing us to go out on the streets to get a supply. We have drug stores for people who can not live peacefully without pain meds.. What about the rest of us, who do not want to be zoned out on pain meds. We only want what will help us live in not so much pain, we can eat without throwing up, we can sleep without pills, we can function on our jobs on marijuana unlike oxyconton or other addictive drug.

Tue, 01/27/2009 - 6:20pm Permalink

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