Washington State Pushes DEA to Reclassify Marijuana

A bill in Washington state asking for the DEA to re-classify marijuana has gone an important step forward. Senate Joint Memorial 8017 is just the very latest pressure that the states are using to try and get the door open to more sensible medical marijuana laws.

Earlier this week, Washington State Governor Chris Gregoire joined the chorus of governors in asking the Federal Government, namely the Drug Enforcement Administration, to change marijuana from a Schedule I substance that would define it as having no medicinal value to a Schedule II substance.  The Schedule I classification at the federal level conflicts with state medical marijuana laws, and in Washington State has caused a rift in public policies around the state.

The measure passed with unanimous approval from the Senate Committee on Health and Long Term Care and will now move on to the Rules Committee, where if passed there would be scheduled for a floor vote. In testimony before the vote, several members of the public testified to the committee on the benefits of medical cannabis in their lives and Sen. Jeane Kohl-Welles testified before the committee saying that she believes that other much more harmful drugs are able to be prescribed and regulated. She also joined 41 other legislators in signing Gregoire’s letter earlier this week, seven Republicans and thirty-five Democrats.

While many of these measures might not effectively convince the government to reclassify marijuana to lift the pressure off of the medical marijuana programs in the states that have them, together, governors, state sponsored bills and individuals have been continuing to put pressure on them to change –  may be the best tactic we have.

External Links:
http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2012/01/washington_legislators_ask_rec.html

http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/02/marijuana_reclassification_bil.html