Washington Legislature to Decide State Standard for Medical Marijuana Supply
In the state of Washington, a measure providing pain relief to thousands of medical patients through the use of medical marijuana was passed in 1998, allowing them to have access to a two-month supply of the drug. Since then, patients suffering from everything from chronic back pain to cancer to cataracts have been prescribed the pain-relieving narcotic.
However, there's just one problem: the law did not stipulate what constitutes a two-month supply of marijuana.
Instead, the legislature decided to make the definition of the amount subject to the discretion of individual counties. This, however, has led to discrepancies in prescription amounts that have made it frustrating for many patients to receive the amount of marijuana they require for their particular situation.
Some counties even went so far as to define the amount of a 60-day supply as zero, effectively overturning the law for patients within their borders.
In order to deal with the lack of consensus among counties, the state legislature has been holding hearings with experts on the drug and citizens alike in order to establish a standard by next July. Getting to a specific amount has been tricky, since there are many factors that experts point to as being important in the consideration of prescription amounts for patients.The marijuana being used, the illness being treated, the particular reception of the smoker's body to the drug, as well as the efficiency of the smoker, all affect the amount that a medical marijuana user should be entitled to possess as a reasonable amount at any given time.
Washington is one of twelve states to have legal access to marijuana for medical purposes, but the only of the group without a set standard for the legal amount that a user may possess.
Oregon provides the largest supply of the twelve at 24 ounces or six mature plants, but many other states cap their legal amounts at a tiny one ounce. California has the most flexibility in its regulations; the state suggested baseline limit is 8 ounces or six mature plants, but individual cities and counties are free to set their own restrictions higher than that amount.
However, hard science might disagree with even the most flexible options. Dr. Gregory T. Carter, who has studied dosages used in federal studies of medical marijuana, suggests that a 60-day supply for proper dosage of chronically-ill patients works out to a number closer to 4 1/2 pounds per patient.
The state of Washington will continue to accept suggestions from the public until the end of the year, and such suggestions will be considered for a final ruling to be handed down in July.
In the meantime, those who depend on the drug for much-needed relief to chronic pain are hoping that the establishment of a standard will make any frustrating access problems go up in smoke.