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Ever wonder why the Herald does something? Or how? Or "what were they thinking?" Now you can find out. Executive Editor Ken Robertson and Managing Editor Rick Larson will do their best to explain what happens in the TCH newsroom - and why. |
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closeFriday, May. 29, 2009
Medical marijuana law created major frustration
By Rick Larson, Herald Managing Editor
There are hundreds of Tri-Citians who use marijuana regularly — and legally.
These are people taking advantage of Washington state’s medical marijuana law to get relief from chronic conditions. Passage of the law in 2007 legalized possession of an otherwise illegal drug for treatment of such conditions as nausea from cancer, multiple sclerosis and chronic pain, and clarified how much patients could possess.
But, as a Sunday story by Herald health reporter Laura Zaichkin reveals, there are major problems with the medical marijuana law.
While the law clarified how patients can legally possess medical marijuana, it didn’t address how they could get it. The result has been to force these patients to operate in a shadowy world between legal and illegal.
It’s a classic Catch 22 situation or chicken or the egg riddle.
Both patients and police are frustrated, even as plans are being discussed for establishing a Tri-City group growing operation and dispensary. And even the law’s sponsor admits to this big oversight.
Learn more by checking out Laura’s excellent report in Sunday’s Herald.
Rick Larson: 582-1522; rlarson@tricityherald.com
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