Resources
Here are a few websites regarding marijuana and its current legal developments:
Federal Law and Policies
- Controlled Substances Act, 21 U.S.C. Ch. 13 - Drug Abuse Prevention and Control, via U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
- Memorandum for Selected United State Attorneys (
), Subject: Investigations and Prosecutions in States Authorizing the Medical Use of Marijuana, U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Deputy Attorney General, 10/19/2009 - VHA Directive 2011-004, Access to Clinical Programs for Veterans Participating in State-Approved Marijuana Programs, Veterans Health Administration, 01/31/2011
- Memorandum for Selected United State Attorneys (), Subject: Guidance Regarding the Ogden Memo in Jurisdictions Seeking to Authorize Marijuana for Medical Use, U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Deputy Attorney General, 06/29/2011
- Gov. Gregoire's letter and petition to the federal government () seeking to have marijuana rescheduled so that it can be prescribed as a medical treatment for appropriate patients, 11/30/2011
Washington Law and Policies As They Currently Exist
- Ch. 69.51A RCW - Medical Marijuana
- Legislative Information on SB 5073, Washington State Legislature Bill Information
- Governor Gregoire’s Statement About SB 5073, Press Release, 04/21/2011
- Are Sales of "Medical Marijuana" Subject to Sales Tax? - Washington State Department of Revenue Tax Topics
- Frequently Asked Questions About Medical Marijuana in Washington State, Washington State Department of Health
- Information Summary: Patient Access to Medical Marijuana in Washington State (), Publication Number 631-001, Washington State Department of Health, 07/2008
- Medical Marijuana Fact Sheet (), Association of Washington Cities, July 2011
- Reefer Madness: What Employers Need to Know About Medical Marijuana and Drug Testing Under Washington Law, by Brian M. Flock and M. Edward Taylor, MRSC HR Advisor, July 2011
- Roe v. TeleTech Customer Care Mgmt. (Colo.), LLC, 152 Wn. App. 388 (2009), review granted, 168 Wn.2d 1025 (2010) - The Court of Appeals ruled that Washington’s Medical Use of Marijuana Act does not protect medical marijuana users from adverse hiring or disciplinary decisions based on an employer’s drug test policy
- Update: Medical Cannabis (), by W. Scott Snyder, Senior Member, Ogden Murphy Wallace, Municipal, Municipal Research News, Summer 2011
- Washington Non-discrimination Laws and the Use of Medical Marijuana (
), Washington State Human Rights Commission, 03/2009 - Medical Marijuana Uses and Local Regulation (), by Carol Morris, Morris Law, P.C, Seabeck, WA. Memo discussing the current status of the laws regarding city regulation of collective gardens, with a helpful listing of the issues a city might want to consider, 11/18/2011
Press Items
- Emergency Moratorium Puts Marijuana Dispensaries on Hold in Federal Way, Federal Way Press Release, 04/19/2011
- Bremerton Medical Marijuana Dispensaries on Hold, by Lynsi Burton, Bremerton Patriot, 03/01/2011
- Federal Way Says No to Medical Marijuana Dispensaries - City Denies Business Licenses, by Andy Hobbs, Federal Way Mirror, 03/01/2011 via Seattle P.I.
- Port Orchard Council Sets Moratorium on Medical Marijuana Dispensaries, posted by Chris Henry, Kitsap Sun, 02/23/2011
- Medical Marijuana: Tacoma Rally Sends Washington State Law Back to the Hot Seat, Federal Way Mirror, 10/20/2010
Chapter 69.51A RCW: Medical Marijuana Law in Washington State
This is the Washington State Medical Marijuana law from the WA State Legislature page.
Washington State Medical Marijuana Frequently Asked Questions
This is a very comprehensive guide for patients and physicians that explains Washington State Medical Marijuana Act and answers many common questions about it.
Washington State Cannabis News
Cannabis News is a great source for the articles on marijuana and its current legal developments in Washington State.
The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML)
Since its founding in 1970, NORML has provided a voice in the public policy debate for those Americans who oppose marijuana prohibition and favor an end to the practice of arresting marijuana smokers. A nonprofit public-interest advocacy group, NORML represents the interests of the tens of millions of Americans who smoke marijuana responsibly.
Marijuana Policy Project (MPP)
MPP envisions a nation where marijuana is legally regulated similarly to alcohol, marijuana education is honest and realistic, and treatment for problem marijuana users is non-coercive and geared toward reducing harm.
Medical Marijuana ProCon.org
Medical Marijuana ProCon.org presents laws, studies, statistics, surveys, government reports, and pro and con statements on questions related to marijuana as medicine.
MSNBC Special Report - Marijuana, Inc
Medical Marijuana Special Report - Marijuana Inc
Banned activities for medical marijuana patients and caregivers.
The Medical Marijuana Act does not give a broad freedom to medical marijuana patients to use marijuana anywhere, any time. Patients are not free to display their marijuana in view of the general public. No health insurer can be held liable for any claim for reimbursement for the costs of the medical use of marijuana. No physician shall be forced to authorize or discuss the medical use of marijuana. No school, business, or youth center may be forced to accommodate the medical use of marijuana. No patient will be able to claim a defense if their use of marijuana endangered the health or well-being of any person while driving.
Drug testing programs—including urinalysis and hair testing—required by federal agencies and some businesses for workers in certain safety-sensitive positions are unaffected by the Act. Even where drug testing is not a factor, employers may prevent employees from using marijuana on the job, if any degree of impairment would interfere with their work.
A warning to all marijuana users.
The Medical Marijuana Act was designed to protect a specific class of people—the seriously and terminally ill. It does not apply to recreational users of marijuana who simply feel they get some “medical” benefit. It does not even apply to terminally ill patients who fail to get their physician’s approval. The Act enables the courts to sort out who is entitled to these new protections and who is not.
Every detail, from proof of illness to the form and reasons for a marijuana recommendation, is a potential weak link in a person’s case. Don’t put yourself at risk on a flimsy claim of a medical need for marijuana. Remember, it is a class C felony to fraudulently produce any record claiming to be valid medical documentation