Democrats approved a resolution supporting passage of the Washington State Medical Marijuana Initiative (I-692) at last week’s State Democratic Convention.
State Sen. Jeanne Kohl (D-Seattle) called the party support “wonderful.” Kohl, along with Sen. Pat Thibadeau (D-Seattle), sponsored legislation this spring to exempt “seriously ill patients … from liability and criminal prosecution for limited, personal possession and use of marijuana.” The legislation died in committee when Republican Sen. Alex Deccio (R-Yakima), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Longterm Care, refused to call the issue for a vote.
Initiative 692 is based upon the Kohl/Thibadeau bill. The initiative mandates that “patients with terminal or debilitating illnesses who, in the judgment of their physicians would benefit from the medical use of marijuana, shall not be found guilty of a crime under state law for their possession and limited use of marijuana.” The proposal would also exempt “primary caregivers” who assist patients with their medical marijuana treatment from state criminal prosecution.
The Seattle-Post Intelligencer previously endorsed the measure last month.
Proponents of I-692 must gather approximately 182,000 signatures by July 2 to place the measure on the November ballot.
For more information, please contact Dr. Rob Killian of Washington Citizens for Medical Rights @ (206) 781-7716 or Keith Stroup of NORML @ (202) 483-5500.
