cannabisnews.com: MMJ: Both Cops And Patients Need Better Guidelines





MMJ: Both Cops And Patients Need Better Guidelines
Posted by FoM on June 18, 1999 at 13:21:40 PT
Source: Seattle Times
WASHINGTON voters made two things clear last fall when they approved Initiative 692, the medical-marijuana law: 1. Police must treat sick patients with compassion. 2. Patients must abide by reasonable limits.
The unfortunate case of David Means, profiled by Seattle Times reporter Carol Ostrom on June 14, demonstrates that neither cops nor patients have yet found the appropriate balance between rights, responsibilities and respect for the voters' will. State and local authorities should redouble their efforts to ensure that all parties comply with the spirit and letter of the law.Means suffers from seizures and had obtained legally required documentation from a licensed medical doctor. He grew his own supply in his West Seattle apartment - and made sure to keep both the text of the law and his medical documentation accessible to law enforcement. The home was raided in May; police destroyed 40 marijuana plants and confiscated his growing equipment. That's not all. They apparently trashed the place. Means' apartment manager said it looked "like a tornado came through his apartment" after the cops left. Means also says the cops taunted and provoked him after handcuffing him. He was arrested and released without any charges filed. This apparent disregard for Means' dignity and property is appalling. It's exactly the kind of boorish behavior I-692 sought to end. Police officials say the case is under investigation and more training is planned. Those who conducted the destructive raid at Means' apartment need more than training; they ought to be disciplined.The case is complicated by Means' unilateral decision to share his personal supply of medical marijuana with other patients. The law does not address distribution. Moreover, although it states that qualifying patients may possess a 60-day supply for personal medical use, it does not define a 60-day supply.The Legislature failed this year to assign a state agency to write implementation rules for I-692. Gov. Gary Locke should take the lead in forming a multi-agency task force to craft clear, rational guidelines for enforcement of the popular medical-marijuana law. Members should include representatives from the Washington State Medical Quality Assurance Commission, the Attorney General's office, patient advocate groups (such as the Capitol Hill Compassion in Action or Green Cross Patient Co-op), doctors, police officers and academic researchers. Until that happens, though, ambiguities in the medical-marijuana law are no excuse for police raids against sick patients. What happened to David Means should not happen again.
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