Medical marijuana proposal now dead in Washington state

[Upton]

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - A Democratic lawmaker who had been pushing for legal recognition of medical marijuana dispensaries in Washington state abandoned her efforts Tuesday and called the setback the greatest disappointment of her career in Olympia.

The Legislature does not have enough time to find and pass a compromise bill before the end of the special session on Wednesday, said Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, D-Seattle. She had previously ushered a full package of proposals all the way to the governor, only to have Gov. Chris Gregoire veto large portions of it.

Kohl-Welles said she regrets not being able to secure the approval of even limited regulation of medical marijuana dispensaries.

"By far, this represents the greatest disappointment of my legislative career," Kohl-Welles said.

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/122511954.html

Thanks Gov. Gregoire for standing up for the people of Washington state...the folks back in DC don't pull your strings now do they? Thanks too, to President Obama, for not only going back on his campaign promise, but to actually be raiding the dispensaries at a rate higher than the Bush administration.

Now, let me give a real thanks to Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles for fighting the good fight...someday it will be won.

[Wilms]

1. The more things Change, the more they stay the same.

Hope?

Nope.

[Upton]

2. That's the way I see it..

Hope? whatever hope I had took a walk within his first year.

Change? yeah, sure..Though perhaps I should give Obama the benefit of the doubt, there has been some change after all, as on this issue things have actually gotten worse..

[cleanhippie]

3. well, at least we have a medical mj law.

Many states dont even have that.

[Upton]

5. Hasn't done much good in Spokane has it?

And Gregoire's veto either intentionally or unintentionally even gutted some of the 1998 law....

Today, Governor Gregoire took the worst possible action and issued a sectional veto of the bill. She left in supposedly positive provisions that reiterate existing law, and she left in the language amending our existing "affirmative defense" so that it specifically will not apply to dispensary operators. Thus, as of the law's effective date, all "grey market" dispensary operators are left with no affirmative defense to cannabis distribution charges.

http://cdc.coop/2011_legislation

[Warren DeMontague]

4. Fucking legalize it, already.

Who, exactly, really thinks continued criminalization is a good idea, except for people directly benefiting from the drug war gravy train? :shrug:

[Upton]

6. Both major parties on the drug war gravy train..

and those who dare to think outside the box, such as Kucinich for the Democrats or Ron Paul for the Repubs, are quickly marginalized..not only by the media, but within their own party..