Jacob Redmond
Well-Known Member
As the Legislature moves this session to address the unregulated medical-marijuana market, all parties must agree on a common objective: safe, affordable patient access. While stakeholder concerns should be considered, they must be scrutinized and remain secondary to patient interests.
As a Washington State Liquor Control Board member, I have a bias: I believe we have established a tightly regulated system that can provide high-quality, safe medical cannabis for patients, with little risk of youth access or federal intervention. While many in the medical-marijuana industry argue that a separate system could be established to do the same, the need for costly duplication must be proven. An evaluation would be hard-pressed to show that existing licensees, who have invested in good faith in our system, cannot meet the needs of medical cannabis patients.
As part of Initiative 502's implementation, the Liquor Control Board opened up a new recreational marketplace to many who operated in the gray area of medical marijuana. Given the threat of federal action, as well as the acknowledgment that lack of regulation did not serve the interests of patients, many of these growers and retailers opted into the state's regulated system.
These new licensees confirm that the existing medical-marijuana system inappropriately serves many recreational users. Testing, labeling and quality standards are lax and unverified. The training of dispensary employees is often poor and lacks the scientific validity we expect of health-care professionals. There are responsible operators who abide by what they feel to be the highest of standards. However, many of them acknowledge the need for the Legislature to act quickly to regulate the industry.
This brings me back to our original premise: Any new system of medical marijuana needs to be focused on safe, affordable patient access. What does this look like?
Safe means protecting patients with stringent testing, labeling and quality control regulations. It also assumes that outlets authorized to sell medical cannabis will be staffed by highly trained individuals who are knowledgeable about existing research. Developing these protocols would require the assistance of an objective third party, preferably a respected in-state institution with health science and research experience – the University of Washington comes to mind.
Safe also means zero tolerance for youth access. This requires replicating the retailer education, regulatory and enforcement resources of the Liquor Control Board, as well as creating strong relationships with the prevention and law-enforcement community. Safety applies to our community as well. This assumes a system that can block entry to criminal gangs and drug cartels – elements the feds have assured us will invite their intervention.
A regulated medical-marijuana system should also avoid the fire and explosion hazards that come with large home grows located in residential neighborhoods. And it should be stated here that any workable system assumes that local governments would receive the necessary funding to be reliable partners in enforcing these new laws.
A thoughtful evaluation of tax rates applied to medical marijuana is also in order. Any system that puts safer drugs beyond the financial reach of patients is poor health-care policy. If we are committed to an objective evaluation of legitimate medical use, that should not be a problem. In truth, if we were to move all recreational users out of the medical-marijuana marketplace, marijuana could be provided to qualified patients at little or no cost. That would require a patient registry, clearer definitions of qualifying conditions (especially chronic pain), and better training and oversight of authorizations by medical providers.
The debate over the future of medical marijuana in Washington is sure to reach a fevered pitch this session. Whatever decision the Legislature makes, let us hope it's based on the best interests of patients and the communities in which they live. One thing is for certain: The unregulated system that currently exists serves neither.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Guest: Medical-marijuana patients deserve a regulated system that is safe and affordable | Opinion | The Seattle Times
Author: Chris Marr
Contact: Services | Seattle Times Newspaper
Photo Credit: Sea of Green Farms
Website: The Seattle Times | News, sports, weather, events in the Northwest
As a Washington State Liquor Control Board member, I have a bias: I believe we have established a tightly regulated system that can provide high-quality, safe medical cannabis for patients, with little risk of youth access or federal intervention. While many in the medical-marijuana industry argue that a separate system could be established to do the same, the need for costly duplication must be proven. An evaluation would be hard-pressed to show that existing licensees, who have invested in good faith in our system, cannot meet the needs of medical cannabis patients.
As part of Initiative 502's implementation, the Liquor Control Board opened up a new recreational marketplace to many who operated in the gray area of medical marijuana. Given the threat of federal action, as well as the acknowledgment that lack of regulation did not serve the interests of patients, many of these growers and retailers opted into the state's regulated system.
These new licensees confirm that the existing medical-marijuana system inappropriately serves many recreational users. Testing, labeling and quality standards are lax and unverified. The training of dispensary employees is often poor and lacks the scientific validity we expect of health-care professionals. There are responsible operators who abide by what they feel to be the highest of standards. However, many of them acknowledge the need for the Legislature to act quickly to regulate the industry.
This brings me back to our original premise: Any new system of medical marijuana needs to be focused on safe, affordable patient access. What does this look like?
Safe means protecting patients with stringent testing, labeling and quality control regulations. It also assumes that outlets authorized to sell medical cannabis will be staffed by highly trained individuals who are knowledgeable about existing research. Developing these protocols would require the assistance of an objective third party, preferably a respected in-state institution with health science and research experience – the University of Washington comes to mind.
Safe also means zero tolerance for youth access. This requires replicating the retailer education, regulatory and enforcement resources of the Liquor Control Board, as well as creating strong relationships with the prevention and law-enforcement community. Safety applies to our community as well. This assumes a system that can block entry to criminal gangs and drug cartels – elements the feds have assured us will invite their intervention.
A regulated medical-marijuana system should also avoid the fire and explosion hazards that come with large home grows located in residential neighborhoods. And it should be stated here that any workable system assumes that local governments would receive the necessary funding to be reliable partners in enforcing these new laws.
A thoughtful evaluation of tax rates applied to medical marijuana is also in order. Any system that puts safer drugs beyond the financial reach of patients is poor health-care policy. If we are committed to an objective evaluation of legitimate medical use, that should not be a problem. In truth, if we were to move all recreational users out of the medical-marijuana marketplace, marijuana could be provided to qualified patients at little or no cost. That would require a patient registry, clearer definitions of qualifying conditions (especially chronic pain), and better training and oversight of authorizations by medical providers.
The debate over the future of medical marijuana in Washington is sure to reach a fevered pitch this session. Whatever decision the Legislature makes, let us hope it's based on the best interests of patients and the communities in which they live. One thing is for certain: The unregulated system that currently exists serves neither.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Guest: Medical-marijuana patients deserve a regulated system that is safe and affordable | Opinion | The Seattle Times
Author: Chris Marr
Contact: Services | Seattle Times Newspaper
Photo Credit: Sea of Green Farms
Website: The Seattle Times | News, sports, weather, events in the Northwest
