I'm urging people to write there state law makers and ask them to vote NO on SB 5073. They have added amendments to the bill that change major parts of the current medical law.

SB 5073 passed the Washington State Senate on a 29-20 vote. Several amendments were adopted. Most concerning was an amendment by the pot-doctor-fearing Senator Carrell to forbid health care professionals from having practices that appear to be primarily for the authorization of medical cannabis. That means that clinic's who specialize in helping qualifying patients get a doctor's recommendation would be against the law and doctors would be scared to write recommendations out of fear that the state would come down on them. Here is a copy of my letter and some links to the stories about sb 5073 and the state senate laughing as the added amendments.

I'm writing you today to ask you to vote no on the sb 5073. I support medical cannabis and feel patients need protections and access to medication. But a bill that started off protecting patients has over shot it's mark. Several amendments have been added that change the original intent of the current medical cannabis law in our state.

The most troubling is the idea of a patient registry. We should not have to register with the state and give up our 4th amendment rights. Give protections to all patients with out having them register. Plus the section for civil penalties on law enforcement who access and distribute the information from the registry was removed.

The amendments of Senator Carrell to forbid health care professionals from having practices that appear to be primarily for the authorization of medical cannabis is burden some to patients. Most doctors will shun you or send you to a shrink for even bringing the subject up. I can speak from experience that the doctor's recommending medical cannabis require sufficient documentation. Such as OR reports , CT scans , X rays, chart notes , and nerve studies. I'm sure they know they are putting there professional carer on the line. And wouldn't want to play with the scrutiny the state medical board.

The bill has added a sales tax, when other medications aren't taxed in our state. On top of the B&O taxes dispensers and producers would pay. An amendment to ban advertising in print media violates the first amendment. Having dispensers be non profit doesn't make sense. Is Target , Walgreen's, and Right Aid non profit? Why should medical cannabis be?

This bill started off trying to fix where patients with limited resources can acquire their medication. And added some protections for the work place, but even that was removed.

I urge you to please VOTE NO. We need to get it right, and sb 5073 doesn't do that.

http://www.tokeofthetown.com/2011/03/wa_senate_oks_marijuana_dispensary_...

http://www.tokeofthetown.com/2011/03/legislature_set_to_gut_washingtons_...

http://cdc.coop/2011_legislation

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/mar/17/editorial-marijuana-bill-sh...

http://www.tokeofthetown.com/2011/03/wa_paper_strip_medical_marijuana_bi...

http://xcannabis.com/2011/02/sb-5073-passed-the-ways-and-means-committee...

http://xcannabis.com/2011/03/george-carlin-on-sb-5073/

It's important we say something , even if you support it tell them to remove the amendments that are gonna hurt patients. NORML has been asking people from around the country to write our law makers . But this bill is no where near it started .

Here is the video of our law makers laughing it up as they destroy our med law and take away patients rights.

http://www.tvw.org/media/mediaplayer.cfm?evid=2011030045C&TYPE=V&CFID=26...

fast forward to 1:15:45

john.ahern@leg.wa.gov; gary.alexander@leg.wa.gov; glenn.anderson@leg.wa.gov; jan.angel@leg.wa.gov; sherry.appleton@leg.wa.gov; mike.armstrong@leg.wa.gov; katrina.asay@leg.wa.gov; barbara.baile...y@leg.wa.gov; andy.billig@leg.wa.gov; brian.b.........lake@leg.wa.gov; vincent.buys@leg.wa.gov; reuven.Carlyle@leg.wa.gov; bruce.chandler@leg.wa.gov; frank.chopp@leg.wa.gov; judy.clibborn@leg.wa.gov; eileen.cody@leg.wa.gov; cary.condotta@leg.wa.gov; larry.crouse@leg.wa.gov; cathy.dahlquist@leg.wa.gov; bruce.dammeier@leg.wa.gov; j.darneille@leg.wa.gov; richard.debolt@leg.wa.gov; marylou.dickerson@leg.wa.gov; hans.dunshee@leg.wa.gov; deborah.eddy@leg.wa.gov; susan.fagan@leg.wa.gov; fred.finn@leg.wa.gov; david.frockt@leg.wa.gov; roger.goodman@leg.wa.gov; tami.green@leg.wa.gov; kathy.haigh@leg.wa.gov; larry.haler@leg.wa.gov; mark.hargrove@leg.wa.gov; paul.harris@leg.wa.gov; bob.hasegawa@leg.wa.gov; bill.hinkle@leg.wa.gov; mike.hope@leg.wa.gov; zack.hudgins@leg.wa.gov; sam.hunt@leg.wa.gov; ross.hunter@leg.wa.gov; christopher.hurst@leg.wa.gov; jim.jacks@leg.wa.gov; laurie.jinkins@leg.wa.gov; norm.johnson@leg.wa.gov; ruth.kagi@leg.wa.gov; troy.kelley@leg.wa.gov; phyllis.kenney@leg.wa.gov; steve.kirby@leg.wa.gov; brad.klippert@leg.wa.gov; joel.kretz@leg.wa.gov; dan.kristiansen@leg.wa.gov; connie.ladenburg@leg.wa.gov; marko.liias@leg.wa.gov; kristine.lytton@leg.wa.gov; marcie.maxwell@leg.wa.gov; john.mccoy@leg.wa.gov; jim.mccune@leg.wa.gov; mark.miloscia@leg.wa.gov; jim.moeller@leg.wa.gov; jeff.morris@leg.wa.gov; luis.moscoso@leg.wa.gov; terry.nealey@leg.wa.gov; ed.orcutt@leg.wa.gov; timm.ormsby@leg.wa.gov; tina.orwall@leg.wa.gov; jason.overstreet@leg.wa.gov; kevin.parker@leg.wa.gov; kirk.pearson@leg.wa.gov; jamie.pedersen@leg.wa.gov; eric.pettigrew@leg.wa.gov; tim.probst@leg.wa.gov; chris.reykdal@leg.wa.gov; ann.rivers@leg.wa.gov; maryhelen.roberts@leg.wa.gov; jay.rodne@leg.wa.gov; christine.rolfes@leg.wa.gov; charles.ross@leg.wa.gov; cindy.ryu@leg.wa.gov; sharontomiko.santos@leg.wa.gov; joe.schmick@leg.wa.gov; larry.seaquist@leg.wa.gov; mike.sells@leg.wa.gov; matt.shea@leg.wa.gov; shelly.short@leg.wa.gov; norma.smith@leg.wa.gov; larry.springer@leg.wa.gov; derek.stanford@leg.wa.gov; pat.sullivan@leg.wa.gov; dean.takko@leg.wa.gov; david.taylor@leg.wa.gov; steve.tharinger@leg.wa.gov; dave.upthegrove@leg.wa.gov; kevin.vandewege@leg.wa.gov; maureen.walsh@leg.wa.gov; judy.warnick@leg.wa.gov; hans.zeiger@leg.wa.gov;

I would just like to say the laws need to change. I have my authorization, which I was advised by Judge Pamela Pain of Stevens County to get. Three months later the cops showed up on my door step telling me they had a tip off I was manufacturing. I gave them a copy of my medical authorization and Dan Anderson the lead officer told me Washington doesn’t recognize medical marijuana, and arrested my wife and I. I fought it for two years with the help of public defenders (which didn’t help me at all). The whole time the judge set up pulmonary hearings, and the public defender would tell the judge what defense we would use at the time of trial, and the judge would rule against me using that defense. So by the time I came to trial I didn’t have any defense going for me, not even my affirmative defense that we are supposed to have. They gave me a plea bargain, and I took it. It let my wife off, and I got the same consequence as someone that didn’t have an authorization. I appealed the decision, and lost. The only thing the appeals court had to go off of was the testimony of the prosecutor “Is this justice at all”?

SB 5073 needs some amendments before CDC members will support it:

1. Provide real arrest protection -- now, not later! This bill provides arrest protection only to patients in a government database -- which is years away from completion. Ridiculous! Fix: Combine sections 401 and 402 so patients who present valid documentation to law enforcement are protected from arrest.
2. Stop attacking doctors! Section 301 of the bill places several chilling restrictions on health care professionals that authorize the medical use of cannabis. Fix: Section 301, strike everything from 2a onward.
3. Don't outlaw collective growing! Under current law, patients can grow together. Don't limit collective grows to three patients. Fix: Section 403, increase the number of patients and plants allowed in a collective grow.

Related information is available at http://cdc.coop/2011_legislation.

Please protect cannabis medicine patients and caregivers. This miraculous plant is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known and has never caused a single death from overdose or allergic reaction. If I could communicate to you how profoundly cannabis improves the lives of millions of patients worldwide I feel certain you would fight with all your courage and power on behalf of the cannabis medicine patients in your state.

Thank you,

Jonathan Steigman
Communication Director
Americans for Safe Access, Silicon Valley Chapter

Politicians are Still far too Ignorant of the Facts about
Cannabis. If they all knew the Real Truth about it, (Unless they are in Bed
with the Money behind Prohibition), They would Never Put such Restrictions
around such a Beneficial and Benign Plant....

I am sharing this with you because, I want You to see that Cannabis should
Not be for Just for the Very Sick but, for ALL of US . If You are like a lot
of the Public who have been Brainwashed by the Prohibitionistic Lies,
Mistruths and Ommissions about the Science of Cannabis. Once you understand
the scientific evidence of how our bodies have Evolved to Benefit from this
plant You can't help but be amazed at the Demonization of a simple plant.
You have to Follow the Money. Science is what will End the Nonsense. The
science is already here and has been for a long time. It is just that the
Government Propaganda Machine (D.A.R.E.) was suppressing the information.
Now that the internet and social sites have enabled people to share
uncensored information with each other it is getting better. I am trying to
educate the public since this IS just a matter of politics.

I Highly Recommend this Movie: http://youtu.be/wqJO-RFQfHk

It Is "The Union- The Business Behind Getting High"

Every Politician Needs to see this Movie. It is being Screened by Many
Prestegious Colleges, and with Good Reason.

Cannabis is a Powerful Antioxidant therefore, it would be beneficial to
Everyone in the Prevention of dreaded diseases.

Furthermore, Cannabis is a Proven Anti-Inflammatory. Everyone knows that
Inflammation causes pain and disease...

Google PubMed This is the National Institute of Health, then input
Cannabinoids into the search bar. You will see over 600 studies by our OWN
Government that PROVE the Benefits of Cannabis. Are you scratching your head
at the absurdity yet? If that doesn't grab your attention maybe these links
will...

http://youtu.be/jpKKgSG3UOw

http://youtu.be/RLSpWtx4sFA

http://phoenixtears.ca/

Or maybe it takes a Harvard Professor to Enlighten You:

http://youtu.be/1ClWC8RCnXM

http://www.uccs.edu/~rmelamed/Evolutionism/

There is sooo Much More out there.... I Want to Help end this Nonsense-icle
War on Cannabis... We NEED to Educate our law Makers... We Have to Remove
the Blinders from Their Eyes! This Is The Only Way to Efeect real Change.
EDUCATION!!! If you noticed Montana is trying to Repeal Their MMJ Law...
Why??? One can only Guess that it Has to Be Out of Ignorance... Or Maybe it
is just pure Greed. Wonder who the Politicialns there are going to to Dinner
and Drinks with Hmmmm....?

All This Being Said:

Disband the the D E A! A Useless, Life Sucking, Family Destroying, EVIL,
Gangsta Enabling, Country Destroying, Cancer Industry Supporting, Fear
Mongering, Culture Obliterating, Gang of Gun Toting THUGS!

Our Country is Drowning in Debt. Just eliminating this ONE "Money
Sucking" Band of SNEAKY Bullies Would go so far towards helping this country
climb out of debt.... Not FORGETTING to mention the money SAVED from not
treating drug addicts as Criminal, but, treating them as if they have a true
medical problem Just Like They Do ALCOHOLICS! Did Betty Ford go to jail?
NO!!! When we treat our addicts as criminals and put them in prison...

We are PAYING for them to live. When they finish their sentence and
come back into the so called Free world. The very fact that they have been
incarcerated destroys their chances of finding Truly Gainful Employment.
What happens next? Minimum wage, depression and eventually Social
Programs... We are STILL PAYING Folks!

This is just in our OWN Country. We need to still consider all
the mayhem caused by "Drug Cartels" in other countries who bring their drugs
here to the people who will NEVER stop doing them no matter how many laws
there are against them. People have Always and Will Always want to alter
their state of consciousness. For God's Sake People Wake UP!!!

By the Way, Intoxicated and Cannabis should be in no way
associated together. Why? In-TOXIC-ated. Marijuana is not toxic at ANY
Level. Also, as Dr. Professor Grinspoon from Harvard medical School can attest to. If you are "high" and
an emergency happens... Well, so much for That High... an emergency will
"straighten" a person right up.

It is my hope that Whoever is reading this will not take
offense. I am just tired of the nonsense. I am a survivor of Hepatitis C.
Yes My Illegal MMJ helped me Immensely during the Brutal Treatment I endured
for my Disease. I am very Glad that the Police were not looking in my window
while I was self-medicating. I am not ashamed to tell you that I had Hep C
for 25 years and when I went for liver biopsy the doc was amazed and
delighted to see that I had Minimal Liver Damage. I used to think that it
was because I drink so much water... but, the doctor said no...

Now that I know the the truth about Cannabis I realize that the
reason I had Minimal Liver Damage was because I was a "POT HEAD"! I thank
God for that! God gave us this Wonderful Plant. He Gave it to us ALL. Not
just to the Very ILL. He gave it to us for our Health and Our Pleasure.
Think about the Legal Things We use for our Health and Pleasure Now! The
Prescriptions... The Alcohol... The Cigarettes...Tell Us Which of those are
Non-TOXIC? Not One. Only The Plant Which was Provided to Us By Our Creator.
It Truly Is a Perfect Plant. Perfect for Health and for Pleasure. Just as
You Would Expect Him to Create for The Beings He Loves... and He in fact,
DID!

Then:
In the Book of Genesis God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the
face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They
will be yours for food.

What makes Man Think He is Smarter than his Creator....?

Please Help Support Up Coming Historic Medical Marijuana Trial, May 2nd 2011, Downtown West Palm Beach,Florida. Please Take A Moment & Read Or View My Story On FaceBook ( Palm Beach County 1st Ever Medicinal Cannabis Trial ) Together We Can Achieve Victory !

Thanks To All & Be Safe,

Jeffrey & Sharon Kennedy

this needs to be clearly written out, just like everything else. this is alot better than someone going down to the liquor store and getting booze. i'd much rather deal with someone on pot rather than on booze. alcohol is so deadly, in so many ways. iam grateful for this thing to go this far. keep it going untill all the kinks are ironed out...this can be done. get with the right people and get the right things in order. what really is the problem????

I am disappointed by seeing groups that say that they represent me as a patient support this bill unequivocally without objection.
I think there has been a direct goal of causing doctor to be more cautious by removing much of the exclusive protections that doctors presently enjoy under RCW 69.51a.

I also believe that the tax structure is too demanding, and more expensive than other working models in the USA like Colorado or Nevada who only employ one person to over see medical cannabis in their state.

I have written a few articles and I have made a few videos about this and put them on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZuPrm4JCcU

But I came here and read this well rounded, sensible article about the subject, and several people here have made a lot of great points.

Our representatives need to consider that cannabis is non-toxic, has never killed anyone, and would be better handled like an herb from the herb store. Taxes are fine, everything else gets taxed, whats the big deal.

Lets just support a Sensible policy. Removing criminal penalties makes the most sense. Not adding penalties. Section 301 needs serious revision!

This is a civic duty for everyone to give their opinion. Get up Stand Up!!

~Rev Ryan Thompson
www.xCannabis.com
888-694-8737