MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES CAN STAY OPEN FOR NOW

As a sizable contingent of medical marijuana advocates descended on
city hall on Oct. 19, Tacoma City Council agreed to a compromise plan
that will allow established dispensaries to continue providing the
substance to patients until Washington State Legislature clarifies
the law that permits it.

Last week the city ordered eight dispensaries to close their
operations by Oct. 23. Tax and License Manager Jodi Trueblood sent
them a letter stating that providing medical marijuana to more than
one patient is illegal under state law. The letter outlined possible
penalties for non-compliance, including revoking business licenses,
fines and possible criminal prosecution.

Patients and dispensary operators mobilized against this order,
staging a protest on the sidewalk on Market Street in front of Tacoma
Municipal Building prior to the meeting.

Mayor Marilyn Strickland began the meeting by stating the council's
position. The city fully supports access for patients, she said.
"Tacoma City Council is not opposed to safe and legal access to
medical for patients with legitimate need."

Under the proposal she read, the city will suspend taking action
against dispensaries as long as they file appeals of the letters they
received from Trueblood.

The city would not hold hearings on those appeals until after next
year's legislative session ends. Strickland noted the council added a
request to clarify the law next session to its legislative wish list.
The council considers this a priority, she added.

She said she met with Police Chief Don Ramsdell earlier in the day to
discuss the matter. Police would still take action against
dispensaries engaging in illegal sales.

Those outside city hall waved signs stating their support of the dispensaries.

"I believe in safe access," Jeremy Kaufmann said. The Seattle
resident was in an accident that resulted in three fused vertebrae.
He used prescription painkillers to deal with the back pain and
headaches for a while. "The side effects were grotesque," he said.
Kaufmann switched to medical marijuana.

"We need to find a way for people to get their medicine without going
out to the black market," he remarked.

"These guys do great work," he said of dispensary operators. "They
are tired of being persecuted and being made out as villains.

"We need to stop wasting the time of law enforcement and provide safe
access for medical marijuana patients," Ezra Eickmeyer said. A
political consultant from Chimacum, Eickmeyer said he has been
involved in the effort to clarify the state law that permits medical
marijuana, an initiative passed by voters in late 1998.

He noted State Senator Jeanne Kohl-Wells has sponsored bills each
session to clarify the initiative, which permits use of the substance
but includes no provisions for how patients can obtain it.

Don Skakie of Sensible Washington noted the city issued permits to
dispensaries. He feels Tax and License tried to change the rules
during the middle of the game.

Skakie said people need a safe and convenient place to obtain their
medicine. "Patients are concerned," he said. "The waste of time and
energy is stupefying."