Yes on Initiative 692 (medical marijuana)

October 18, 1998 - Seattle Times - opinion@seatimes.com

Should patients with terminal illnesses or debilitating pain be allowed to smoke marijuana prescribed by their doctors without fear of criminal prosecution?

That is the question posed by Initiative 692. Voters should say yes to this responsible and compassionate measure that puts an intensely private medical decision in the hands of those who know what's best for their health: doctors and patients.

Last fall, voters wisely rejected Initiative 685, a sweeping drug-policy reform measure that would have revised penalties for drug possession and allowed medical use of marijuana - as well as many other controlled substances such as LSD and heroin. The message sent by I-685's overwhelming defeat: Keep it simple, keep it narrow, and ensure the safe prescription of pot strictly for pain relief.

The new and improved measure before voters this year is a model for other states. First, I-692 deals with medical marijuana only - not an entire class of drugs. It clearly prohibits the use of marijuana for non-medical purposes. Licensed, certified physicians must authorize and provide valid documentation that the potential benefits of medical marijuana outweigh the risks for a qualifying patient. Tightly drawn criteria for qualifying patients must be met. The patient must have a terminal or debilitating medical condition defined as cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, glaucoma, or intractable pain unrelievable by any other standard medical treatment.

New medical conditions can be added only with approval of the Washington state Medical Quality Assurance Board.

To address legitimate concerns about "sending the wrong message to kids," there are strong safeguards in place against the open, circus-like atmosphere of cannabis clubs in California. The measure explicitly forbids public use or display of medical marijuana, makes it a class C felony to fake medical documentation, and does not allow medical-marijuana use to be a defense against reckless driving.

The initiative is silent on how doctors and patients will obtain the prescribed drug. Many will simply continue to subscribe to an existing nonprofit medical marijuana network, the acclaimed Green Cross Patient Co-op on Bainbridge Island, which provides controlled, doctor-supervised supplies to patients with spinal cord injuries, AIDS, multiple sclerosis and cancer. I-692 would remove the wink-and-nod law-enforcement climate under which the network currently operates. The state Legislature should persist in bipartisan efforts to work with Green Cross and secure research funding for a state-sponsored distribution system.

Illicit drug use is a serious problem. But a narrow class of sick people should not be held hostage by inflexible, tough-on-crime policy. I-692 would free suffering patients from the threat of jail, giving them compassionate respite to worry about their finances, their families, and their futures.

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