Two important hearings coming up in Washington

During the next month, you will have two great opportunities to help reform Washington's marijuana policy. The first, in Seattle, is a chance to provide feedback on the success of the voter approved I-75. The second, in Renton, could lead to the progressive expansion of Washington's medical marijuana program. Both are important, and both are open to the public.

In Seattle, the reforms brought about by I-75 are having a noticeable effect. The Marijuana Policy Review Panel, established by I-75, has scheduled its next public meeting for September 20, at 5:30 p.m., in City Hall room 370. Click here to find future meeting times.

The initiative was placed on the ballot by the Sensible Seattle Coalition and was supported by several state legislators, the King County Bar Association, the Seattle League of Women Voters, the Washington state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, and 59 percent of Seattle's voters.

Now on to Renton …

Did you know that patients who use medical marijuana to combat depression and severe anxiety are still treated as criminals by the state of Washington? Hard to believe, but it's true. But with a little grassroots work, this injustice will soon be righted if the panel meeting in Renton comes to a reasonable conclusion.

The Medical Quality Assurance Commission will conduct a hearing at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 6, 2004. The hearing will be held at the Renton Holiday Inn Select, at One South Grady Way, Renton, Washington, 98055.

The panel will be taking direct public input in two ways. You can testify the day of the hearing about any personal experience you or your friends and family have had with medical marijuana used for depression or severe anxiety. But if public speaking isn't your thing, you can instead write directly to the commission.

The purpose of the hearing will be to determine whether depression and severe anxiety should be added to the list of terminal and debilitating conditions for which medical marijuana may be beneficial. The hearing is in response to a petition received on June 14, 2004.

For more information, contact the Medical Quality Assurance Commission by calling Maryella Jansen at (360) 236-4792 or Beverly Thomas at (360) 236-4788.

Please attend the meetings—which are open to the public—and take advantage of this historic opportunity to help Washington pioneer sensible marijuana policy. If you can't attend the meetings, please pass this message on to someone who can.

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