Jacob Redmond
Well-Known Member
It's been almost three years since voters decided to make recreational marijuana legal. To this day, legislators have yet to finalize what that means for medical marijuana rules. But now they've taken a big step toward that.
Medical marijuana has been around in the state of Washington for years. But did you know that all that time, there was no state agency regulating it?
That officially changed Monday when the state department of health passed a series of emergency rules. They're a set of regulations for the testing, packaging and selling of medical marijuana.
In Washington, medical pot started in 1998. But during that time, there was no oversight of the market at all. In fact, under previous laws, people could still be arrested for possession of marijuana grown or used for medicine.
Health officials say that is changing now with new rules passed in the last state legislative session. We talked to health department representative Kristi Weeks on the phone Monday afternoon. She told us the goal is to safely regulate both the recreational and medical marijuana markets.
"We want to see a single, regulated system that is legal," Weeks said. "And that provides patients, and non-patients, with safe, accurately tested and labeled products that they can rely on."
You might ask, now that marijuana is legal to smoke, why does it make a difference?
Well it makes a huge difference for medicinal users. Under new laws, medical card holders can legally buy three times as much marijuana as recreational users and can even grown their own plants. That's still illegal for everyone else except licensed growers.
The health department will also be looking for public feedback on the new medicinal system.They're holding a meeting in Ellensburg on the 26th and in Spokane, the 30th.
The new medicinal market place is set to open next June.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Medical Marijuana Rules Getting Overhaul
Author: Chris Luther
Contact: Contact Page
Photo Credit: Marcio Jose Sanchez/The Associated Press
Website: NBC News
Medical marijuana has been around in the state of Washington for years. But did you know that all that time, there was no state agency regulating it?
That officially changed Monday when the state department of health passed a series of emergency rules. They're a set of regulations for the testing, packaging and selling of medical marijuana.
In Washington, medical pot started in 1998. But during that time, there was no oversight of the market at all. In fact, under previous laws, people could still be arrested for possession of marijuana grown or used for medicine.
Health officials say that is changing now with new rules passed in the last state legislative session. We talked to health department representative Kristi Weeks on the phone Monday afternoon. She told us the goal is to safely regulate both the recreational and medical marijuana markets.
"We want to see a single, regulated system that is legal," Weeks said. "And that provides patients, and non-patients, with safe, accurately tested and labeled products that they can rely on."
You might ask, now that marijuana is legal to smoke, why does it make a difference?
Well it makes a huge difference for medicinal users. Under new laws, medical card holders can legally buy three times as much marijuana as recreational users and can even grown their own plants. That's still illegal for everyone else except licensed growers.
The health department will also be looking for public feedback on the new medicinal system.They're holding a meeting in Ellensburg on the 26th and in Spokane, the 30th.
The new medicinal market place is set to open next June.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Medical Marijuana Rules Getting Overhaul
Author: Chris Luther
Contact: Contact Page
Photo Credit: Marcio Jose Sanchez/The Associated Press
Website: NBC News
