Washington's Legislature is considering a registry of approved medical-marijuana user
Proposed patient registry working in Oregon
Washington's Legislature is considering a registry of approved medical-marijuana users as part of a sweeping overhaul package pending in Olympia.
By Jonathan Martin
Seattle Times staff reporter
PORTLAND ?? To enter "The Happiest Place on Earth," you descend beneath a southeast Portland strip mall, down a stairway ripe with marijuana smoke.
At the door at the bottom, you flash a small plastic card that certifies the holder as a member of Oregon's medical-marijuana patient registry. Behind the door is the nation's first open Cannabis Cafe, affectionately known as a very "happy" place.
There is no such card or registry in Washington, but the Legislature is considering following Oregon's lead as part of a sweeping overhaul package pending in Olympia.
Patients in Washington are anxious about the proposed registry, seeing it as an invasion of privacy and a tempting tool for police, who strongly favor it. Reflecting those fears, the current proposal calls for a voluntary registry.
But Oregon's 11-year experience with a mandatory registry is telling. A consensus of patient advocates, police, attorneys and health-care professionals describe it as a the least controversial part of the Oregon law.
"I've been preaching this to my colleagues in Washington: A registry can protect you," said Madeline Martinez, executive director of Oregon NORML, which owns the Cannabis Cafe. "Every state should have one."
In Oregon, a patient whose doctor recommends medical marijuana must enroll and pay the $100 yearly registry fee to gain protection from arrest or unwarranted searches of a grow site.
Membership has almost doubled from 23,114 in 2008 to 41,407 in 2010. Nearly a quarter of Oregon's doctors have a patient on the registry.
Lt. Ted Phillips of the Oregon State Patrol's narcotics section said the registry is helpful because it allows police to quickly tell if a medical-marijuana patient is legitimate. Police can access the registry via a secure data link only to confirm a patient's qualification, not to fish for names.
Although the registry is growing, it is not without controversy. The Oregon Supreme Court is considering a case involving a firefighter whose gun permit was declined after local law enforcement found his name on the registry.
The firefighter's attorney, Brian Michaels, of Eugene, said his client's case was a rare questionable use of the registry. "It is undeniably helpful. There's tens of thousands who use medical marijuana legally, and a few hundred who are harassed by police," he said.
In 2007, a federal grand jury issued a subpoena for records of patients enrolled on the Oregon registry, as well as for records from a private clinic that authorized medical marijuana for patients in Washington.
After Oregon's attorney general fought the subpoena, Judge Robert Whalley of Spokane denied the request, finding the patients' privacy rights trumped those of investigators.
Alison Holcomb of the ACLU of Washington, which also fought the subpoena, said she supports a voluntary registry. She cited a recent case in which police knocked down a medical-marijuana patient's door in Seattle's Ravenna neighborhood before officers realized he could legally grow.
If Washington had a registry, police could have simply checked to see if he was enrolled, she said.
"People who suffer from permanent and debilitating medical conditions shouldn't have to live in fear," she said.
Fifteen states plus the District of Columbia allow use of medical marijuana. Washington is the only one without any kind of registry, according to the Marijuana Policy Project, a Washington, D.C., advocacy group that tracks state laws.
Instead, patients here carry paperwork signed by the medical professional who recommended marijuana for their qualifying condition.
Philip Dawdy, spokesman for the Washington Cannabis Association, said Oregon's experience allays some concern, but patients here are split on the value of a registry, even a voluntary one.
"There's a lot of fear among patients ?? and it's well-placed concern ?? about how this info will be used against them," he said.
Jonathan Martin: 206-464-2605 or [email protected]
Just as a reminder to our mmj community here in Washington State. THCF CEO paul stanford[ at the core of the case ruling ABOVE about patient records] handed over my medical records from Dr.Orvald/Dr.Dodge to the State of Washington and the feds... this file consisted of both my Wa. And PROTECTED OREGON INFO. UNDER THE REGISTRY SYSTEM...:thumbsup:
No registry system is safe...when a non-licensed clinic owner can act as a leo does. SCREWED PART ABOUT IT IS, NOTHING CAN BE DONE CAUSE THE 4TH AMENDMENT DOESN'T COVER PRIVATE PARTIES FROM TURNING OVER TO THE GOVERNMENT WHAT THEY SEEK. HIPAA LAWS ARE NOT VIOLATED BECAUSE THCF IS NOT A VALID CLINIC AUTHORIZED FOR MEDICAL PURPOSES...IT IS A PRIVATE ENTITY OWNED BY A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL, NOT ANY LICENSED HEALTHCARE PRACTITIONERS... WE ARE ALL BEING DUPED.
Washington's Legislature is considering a registry of approved medical-marijuana user
How about this madaline and paul??
Wa. legislators pay attention here... don't by into it...:mad::mad::mad:
Feds want Michigan medical marijuana records
Posted: 12.27.2010 at 5:06 PM
Feds want Michigan medical marijuana records : News : UpperMichigansSource.com
Seems the state AG is going to turn the records over...ya know damn well we have a state AG already doing this in Wa... and we don't even have one of these card systems... they take the records in spurts from places like sentry/cannacare., THCF by the ceo turning them over, the places not owned by licensed healthcare practitioners... i.e. private entities.
Washington's Legislature is considering a registry of approved medical-marijuana user
Published: Wednesday, January 12, 2011
RAND RAPIDS (AP) ?? A court hearing to determine whether Michigan authorities must turn over medical-marijuana records to federal investigators probably won't last long, though it will come another day , as today's hearing adjourned.
The state attorney general's office says it's willing to comply with a subpoena from federal investigators. It simply wants a court order.
In Grand Rapids, U.S. Magistrate Judge Hugh Brenneman Jr. is scheduled to hold a hearing Wednesday on the federal government's request for information on seven people with medical marijuana or marijuana caregiver cards.
The Drug Enforcement Administration won't talk about the Lansing-area probe but says it's not cracking down on medical marijuana users. The agency says it pursues large-scale drug traffickers.
More than 45,000 people in Michigan are registered to use marijuana to ease the symptoms of cancer and other health problems.
HOW DO LARGE SCALE DRUG TRAFFICKERS GET MMJ CERTIFIED MEDICAL CARDS FOR SMALL SCALE GROWING RIGHTS FOR SMALL AMOUNTS AUTHORIZED BY LAW.
YOU DON'T... THE DEA JUST ARRESTS THE TRAFFICKERS, NOT GO AFTER MEDICAL RECORDS... ONCE THAT DOOR IS OPENED..THEY ALL OPEN.
OUR LEGISLATORS, OUR STAND-UP MMJ COMMUNITY ADVOCATE ALLISON HOLCOLM AND ANYONE BACKING THIS CARD SYSTEM IS WAY OUT OF TOUCH WITH REALITY.
Washington's Legislature is considering a registry of approved medical-marijuana user
This is what Alison Holcomb wrote on October 2009 (in bold), when replying to someone warning patients about an upcoming registry (italics not bold), "Regarding your statement, "Beware of the WA DOH Patient ID registry coming soon... Don't wait till it's too late... tell you local state representitive that you do not support a state run patient ID registry," could you please let us know the source of your belief that such a registry is on the horizon? We're unaware of any discussions about such a proposal."
She's so full of shit, but ya know, she's a lawyer wtf else do we expect?
Washington's Legislature is considering a registry of approved medical-marijuana user
GRAND RAPIDS ?? Americans for Safe Access, a national medical-marijuana advocacy group, today filed briefs in the case where the federal government is seeking state-held records of seven medical-marijuana users.
This is the third group asking to be heard in the case after state Attorney General Bill Schuette, an opponent of medical marijuana, said the state would release the information upon a judge's order. The state Department of Community Health, which administers the program, last summer resisted a subpoena by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
The DEA requested the information as part of a drug investigation in the Lansing area, records showed.
The state has been reluctant to release the records fearing it would violate privacy protections in the medical-marijuana law.
A hearing is Tuesday in U.S. District Court. Originally, a judge was to act on a request by federal prosecutors to enforce the subpoena earlier this month.
Americans for Safe Access considers itself the ??nation's largest member-based organization of patients, medical professionals, scientists and concerned citizens working to promote safe and legal access to marijuana for therapeutic use and research.?
This case is being watched across the country.
Grand Rapids attorney Bruce Block, who has focused on marijuana cases, wrote on behalf of the organization: ??If the federal government succeeds, medical marijuana patients in Michigan and throughout the rest of the United States will be deterred from becoming legal medical-marijuana patients in the states in which they reside.
??This will be deleterious to the health of thousands, yet the Michigan Department of Community Health has not addressed these issues, has not argued the merits of whether or not these documents must be produced, but rather has acquiesced to the demand ?? so long as this court will somehow cloak it with immunity when it violates the law.?
He said that the DEA is seeking ??documents of the most intimate nature ?? medical records of sick and dying patients.?
Under the law, the state holds a confidential list of of qualifying patients and caregivers, who can grow marijuana. The Department of Community Health can only tell law enforcement if a registration card is valid.
While marijuana remains illegal under federal law, prosecutors say they are not targeting legal users of the drug.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John Bruha said that ?? Department of Justice policy discourages expenditure of investigative or prosecutorial resources on individuals or caregivers 'whose actions are in clear and unambiguous compliance with existing state laws providing for the medical use of marijuana.'?
Block said that if information is released from the registry, it ??would open a Pandora's Box,? and become ??an easy source of information the federal government could access by subpoena of an agent whenever it desired.?
Such access would essentially ??nullify? the program, Block wrote.
E-mail John Agar: [email protected]
TRUST THE ASA ONLY.!!! NO-ONE ELSE HOLDS OUR RIGHTS MORE CLOSER THAN THIS ENTITY...THERE TRACK RECORD IS PROOF.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE TRACK RECORD HERE IN WA. FOR OUR SO CALLED ADVOCATES IS SERIOUSLY LACKING... PERSONAL GAIN IS THE CAUSATION.:stoned:.
It is my understanding that ASA is not welcome to practice in wa. state because it conflicts with this personal gain [enforcing federal law in wa. by state officers under CTED contracts on loan to the DEA to thwart our mmj laws]. Although, affiliates are allowed..i.e. just political noise reps., nothing more...
Washington's Legislature is considering a registry of approved medical-marijuana user
Quote:
Originally Posted by justpics
This is what Alison Holcomb wrote on October 2009 (in bold), when replying to someone warning patients about an upcoming registry (italics not bold), "Regarding your statement, "Beware of the WA DOH Patient ID registry coming soon... Don't wait till it's too late... tell you local state representitive that you do not support a state run patient ID registry," could you please let us know the source of your belief that such a registry is on the horizon? We're unaware of any discussions about such a proposal."
She's so full of shit, but ya know, she's a lawyer wtf else do we expect?
AMEN BROTHER !!:thumbsup: I expect HONEST SERVICES, NOT DEFRAUDING OF HONEST SERVICES...AFTER ALL, SHE CAME FROM STEINBORN AND ASSOC... SO YOUR CORRECT.WTF?
Washington's Legislature is considering a registry of approved medical-marijuana user
MEDICAL MARIJUANA RECORDS News, Images, Videos, Classifieds & More - MLive.com
Stay in touch people, this is important stuff affecting us all across the board.:pimp:
Washington's Legislature is considering a registry of approved medical-marijuana user
Seems like a double edged sword. It has it's positives and negatives. In California I could go to a new Pharmacy and get their specials and try 3 or 4 out on a Sunday afternoon. I could do that because of the State Registry. Here I went to a place on Friday morning and wasn't approved until Monday afternoon. I had a lot more choises in California because I could get approved instantly. As long as you stay within the limits are the Feds that big a threat? Don't they probably have a file on EVERYONE that posts here?
Washington's Legislature is considering a registry of approved medical-marijuana user
Thats why I've been against the state handling this at all. It just means your name on another list which the feds will have access to whether you want them to or not. The federal constitution doesn't mean anything to these federal thugs. Saw a report the other day where the FBI performed 40,000 illegal searches.
Smoke clubs are legal in Washington. I've been waiting for someone with some money to spend to catch on to this and start opening cannabis clubs. There's a smoke club in Seattle that already took this to court. Its a muslim tobacco club where they get together and smoke Turkish tobacco out of hookahs.The main requirement is that its a private club where only people pay a fee to belong to and its not open to the public. Would love to see them start popping up. It would be great place for us of like mind to get together and discuss a lot of these issues over a fatty,
Washington's Legislature is considering a registry of approved medical-marijuana user
So now with this new legislation here in Wa. about cannabis FARMS regulated by the Wa. Dept. of Ag. will surly never see the light of day... :(:(:(
I was right on point with these yahoos when this idea was hatched about pot farms...I knew da feds would jump up and speak like this...it is all outside section 903 of the CSA... unless congress changes it..;)
Re: NorCal cities bring pot growing into the light
News from The Associated Press ? TE=DEFAULT
Feb 3, 6:37 PM EST
Feds to Oakland: Pot farms would break US law
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- The top federal prosecutor in Northern California has warned Oakland officials that large-scale marijuana farms licensed by the city would violate U.S. law and could lead to a crackdown on growers and their backers.
The warning in a letter from U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag offered the first clear signal that the Justice Department would not tolerate even city-sanctioned growing operations, despite the Obama administration's hands-off approach to states that have legalized medical marijuana.
"The department is concerned about the Oakland ordinance's creation of a licensing scheme that permits large-scale industrial marijuana cultivation and manufacturing as it authorizes conduct contrary to federal law," Haag wrote in the letter to Oakland City Attorney John Russo dated Tuesday.
Russo spokesman Alex Katz declined to comment on Haag's letter but said Russo was planning to draft amendments to Oakland's medical marijuana regulations to address cultivation issues. Those would likely be brought before the council in the next few weeks, he said.
The Oakland City Council had asked Russo to seek guidance from federal authorities, even as the council in December put the application process for growers' licenses on hold following a warning from the Alameda County district attorney that the city's ordinance also likely violated state law.
In July, Oakland became the first city in the country to authorize the licensing of marijuana cultivation operations. Until Haag's letter, federal law enforcement officials had kept quiet about what might happen if the city actually went through with its plan.
Haag's letter acknowledges an October 2009 Justice Department memo instructing federal prosecutors to avoid going after patients complying with state laws regarding the medical use of marijuana.
Since then, California has seen a drop in raids on medical marijuana dispensaries compared with the Bush administration years.
But Haag wrote that her office will vigorously enforce federal anti-drug laws against illegal manufacturing and distribution of marijuana, "even if such activities are permitted under state law."
She warned that not only operators of marijuana farms but also landlords, property owners, financiers and others could face prosecution and the loss of property for growing marijuana under Oakland's law.
A revised measure brought before the Oakland City Council this week sought to bring the city's cultivation plans into compliance with state law by tying each farm to an individual pot dispensary.
California's landmark 1996 medical marijuana law allows users only to grow pot for themselves or obtain it from a designated primary caregiver. Hundreds of pot dispensaries throughout the state have operated largely free from interference from authorities by having users designate the dispensary as their primary caregiver.
Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O'Malley said in her December warning to the council that she doubted whether the farms, as conceived under Oakland's original ordinance, could qualify as primary caregivers. She also warned that even councilmembers might face criminal prosecution if the farms were allowed to open.
© 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
:hippy:
Washington's Legislature is considering a registry of approved medical-marijuana user
The oral argument from gozales v. raich and what our supreme court justices had to say about the small amount of cultivation by patients..and large scale amounts which get into the market place.
Listen to them here: Gonzales v. Raich, U.S. Supreme Court Case Summary & Oral Argument
They have great points..one day someone will make the full journey.:thumbsup:
But, not in the POT-FARM style free commerce. Small amounts grown by providers and patients will stay strong without any doubt..section 903 is the precedent.
Washington's Legislature is considering a registry of approved medical-marijuana user
Seems they want the Mexican Cartels to keep the Pot Industry. The only way to defeat them is allow Americans to grow safe weed. But the US would rather make criminals out of us....
Washington's Legislature is considering a registry of approved medical-marijuana user
Yep. The DEA is just another cartel looking for profit. Its always about the money.
We need to keep pushing for complete legalization, no government regulation. There's no legitimate reason this plant needs to be under regulation.
With as corrupt as our legislative and judicial system is probably the best thing we could hope for is to have the complete economy tank and therefor no more money to run these corrupt government organizations.
We're looking more and more like Egypt every day.
Washington's Legislature is considering a registry of approved medical-marijuana user
Quote:
Originally Posted by killerweed420
Yep. The DEA is just another cartel looking for profit. Its always about the money.
We need to keep pushing for complete legalization, no government regulation. There's no legitimate reason this plant needs to be under regulation.
With as corrupt as our legislative and judicial system is probably the best thing we could hope for is to have the complete economy tank and therefor no more money to run these corrupt government organizations.
We're looking more and more like Egypt every day.
Complete legalization I think violates the international treaties... check this out here :
Drug Law Reform in Latin America - Sending the wrong message
The INCB, rather than making harsh judgements based on a selective choice of outdated treaty articles, should use its mandate more constructively and help draw attention to the inherent contradictions in the current treaty system with regard to how plants, plant-based raw materials and traditional uses are treated.
application-pdfDownload the document (PDF)
I think it is the UN international collective of WHO which is the unscheduler.??
Washington's Legislature is considering a registry of approved medical-marijuana user
Quote:
Originally Posted by hiamps
Seems they want the Mexican Cartels to keep the Pot Industry. The only way to defeat them is allow Americans to grow safe weed. But the US would rather make criminals out of us....
LOL.. here is why :
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=2735017&page=1
Marijuana Called Top U.S. Cash Crop
Marijuana Takes the Pot as Most Valuable Cash Crop in the Country
Weeding through the value of the nation's cash crops, a study released today states that marijuana is the U.S.'s most valuable crop and promotes the drug's legalization and taxation.
Drug enforcement officials say the equation is not that simple.
Washington's Legislature is considering a registry of approved medical-marijuana user
Quote:
Originally Posted by jamessr
Complete legalization I think violates the international treaties... check this out here :
Drug Law Reform in Latin America - Sending the wrong message
The INCB, rather than making harsh judgements based on a selective choice of outdated treaty articles, should use its mandate more constructively and help draw attention to the inherent contradictions in the current treaty system with regard to how plants, plant-based raw materials and traditional uses are treated.
application-pdfDownload the document (PDF)
I think it is the UN international collective of WHO which is the unscheduler.??
Portugal has suffered a lot of abuse internationally for there deregulating all drugs. And look, they were right. Drug abuse and crime is way down.
It is and always has been a big lie. Drug laws are about control. Why? Because if talk to people doing drugs they tend to be people who think outside the box and the powers that be do not want that. Why? Because then people would see that its all a big lie and if they lie about one thing they lie about everything. Government is not the answer, its the problem.
