American Civil Liberties Union of Washington

Sponsor: Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles

The bill adds physician assistants, osteopathic physician assistants, naturopaths and advanced registered nurse practitioners - all the medical professionals currently authorized by Washington law to prescribe controlled substances - to the list of health care providers who may authorize the medical use of cannabis. Previously, only MDs and osteopaths could authorize.

The measure will enable more individuals with qualifying health conditions to benefit from the medicinal use of marijuana. It will especially help patients living in remote rural areas and those without health insurance who rely on other, less expensive health care professionals for their primary medical care.