Medical marijuana comments due November 8

Last week, the Liquor Control Board, in collaboration with the WA Department of Health and the WA Department of Revenue, released draft recommendations to submit to the legislature regarding the interaction of the two legal marijuana systems in our state -- medical and recreational.  Below are a few of the recommendations.

Age limits
~ Adults 18 to 20 years old should be allowed access to medical marijuana with proper authorization from a health care professional.

~ Children 17 years old or younger should be allowed access to medical marijuana with parent or guardian consent to authorization.  The parent or guardian should participate in the child's treatment.

~ Authorizing health care professionals should be required to engage in frequent re-examination and follow-up with a child patient and communication with the parent or guardian. 

~ The child's parent or guardian should be required to act as the child's designated provider and be entered in the registry as such.

~ The parent or guardian should have sole control over the child's medical marijuana.  The child should be allowed to posses no more medical marijuana than necessary for his or her next dose. 

~ Medical marijuana consumed in a school setting should be held and administered by school personnel in the same manner as any other medication.  Consistent with current law, schools should not be compelled to accommodate on-site use of medical marijuana on school grounds or school buses.  

~ Medical marijuana products should be prohibited from being labeled in a manner that mimics candy, soda or other treats attractive to kids.

Other recommendations include:
~ Establish a registry for patients and designated providers.
~ Better define "debilitating" and "intractable" pain.
~ Tight regulations on healthcare providers that authorize the use of medical marijuana.
~ Eliminate collective gardens.
~ Reduce amount of medical marijuana a person may possess.
~ Tight regulations on marketing.
~ Sell all marijuana in state-licensed (I-502) stores.
~ Exempt medical marijuana users from sales taxes.

Submit comments!
Read the drafted recommendations and share them with community members.  Educate your state legislators about your concerns.  Let the Liquor Control Board know what you think. Comments about the draft recommendations may be email to: medicalmarijuana@liq.wa.gov through November 8.  Final recommendations are expected to be released in December.