Medical Use of Marijuana
Original Air Date: 9/30/2010
Washington voters passed initiative 692, the medical use of marijuana law in 1998. The law let's patients meeting certain criteria use marijuana for medical reasons. But after more than a decade the law still lacks clarity, stirs controversy, and is at odds with federal law.
Recently the state of Washington added chronic kidney failure to the list of conditions for which medical use of marijuana is approved, but rejected petitions to add Alzheimer's and neuropathic pain.
Is marijuana medically relevant? Is it ever legal to buy or sell marijuana? And does the Washington State law permitting the use of medical marijuana criminalize and jeopardize the safety of it's citizens.
We're discussing the medical use of marijuana on this edition of Northwest Now.
The purpose of this show to is to explore issues from many perspectives. We searched for a qualified medical professional who opposes the medical use of marijuana to come on the program, but were unable to find one. This program in no way endorses the use of marijuana, and nothing presented in this program should be taken as medical advice. If you are having any health problems, consult your personal physician before starting any treatment plan.
GUESTS
Gregory Carter, M.D.
Dr. Carter is a UW professor of rehabilitation medicine and co-directs the Muscular Dystrophy Association/Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Center. Dr. Carter was one of the first researchers to report marijuana's effectiveness in treating the symptoms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
Karl Keich, Seattle Medical Marijuana Association
Karl Keich has been a medical marijuana patient for over a decade. He volunteers at the Seattle Medical Marijuana Association and is committed to sharing his personal experiences about the miraculous medicinal benefits of this plant. While at the Seattle Medical Marijuana Association, he is able to provide members access to a safe, reliable, legal place to exchange marijuana information and resources in order to improve their quality of life.
For more information about Seattle Medical Marijuana Association, please visit: http://medicalmarijuanaseattle.com/
Douglas Haitt, Attorney
Douglas Haitt is a defense attorney from Seattle who is a member of the Washington State NORML (National Organization for Reforming Medical Marijuana Laws) legal Committee and has defended many local cases involving medical marijuana patients.
More Information
To learn more about the medicinal use of cannabis, visit the Washington State Department of Health to learn more about the laws: http://www.doh.wa.gov/hsqa/medical-marijuana/
Click here to view the entire Washington State Medical Marijuana Law, RCW 69.51A
