OPINION
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North Kitsap
Page A4
Friday, February 3, 2012 | North Kitsap Herald
LETTERS
IN OUR OPINION
Medical cannabis: Change federal law
F
orty-two state legislators from both parties have asked the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency to reclassify cannabis so that it can be used medically. Reclassification would enable states to establish laws for the regulation of medical cannabis without fear of reaction from federal enforcement agencies. In April, bowing to threats from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Gov. Chris Gregoire vetoed most parts of a bill legalizing medical cannabis. A day earlier, as if to reinforce their message that U.S. marijuana law trumps state law, federal agents raided medical cannabis dispensaries in Washington state. For medical cannabis to be legally available to those whose health would benefit from it, it’s clear federal law must be changed. Voters in 16 states have legalized medical cannabis. The Washington State Legislature approved a bill legalizing and regulating medical cannabis. But federal law doesn’t distinguish between medical cannabis and recreational marijuana. And so, without a change in federal law, the conflict will continue. There is a difference between medical cannabis and what Willie Nelson calls “a fat Austin torpedo.” Medical cannabis uses certain chemicals in the cannabis plant that have been shown to have medicinal value and can be taken by capsule, extract, spray or smoking. Medical cannabis has been used to relieve nausea and pain, lower eye pressure in glaucoma patients, and stimulate hunger in patients with disease-related weight loss. Federal law should be changed to allow people to have the same access to medical cannabis as they do other prescription medications. Under state Senate Bill 5073, medical cannabis would have been regulated by the state Department of Health. Production, processing and dispensing would have been regulated and licensed. A qualifying patient’s medical use of cannabis would have been authorized by a health care professional and registered with the state. This bill would have allowed cities to adopt appropriate enforcement, licensing and zoning for medical cannabis dispensaries within their boundaries. Lacking such direction from the state, Poulsbo and other cities have issued moratoriums on medical cannabis dispensaries. Mary Clare Kersten, a coordinator of Sensible Washington, which supports the legalization of cannabis, called dispensaries “an act of mercy” to those who need medical cannabis but have no access to it. She said dispensaries are run like pharmacies and require documentation not unlike a prescription. And they can dispense medical cannabis in a form that will best benefit the patient’s condition. “It’s not a stoner shop. It’s a medical marijuana shop,” she said. Federal law should be changed to reflect, and allow, that.
ONLINE POLL Q: Should federal law be changed to allow for access to medical cannabis?
NorthKitsapHerald.com
As of Thursday, 9:10 a.m. on NorthKitsapHerald. com: Yes: 72 percent No: 27 percent
Polls are NorthKitsapHerald.com are informal, not scientific. Results reflect the opinions of site visitors who voluntarily participate. Results may not represent the opinions of the public as a whole.
Recommends getting a range extender Only in America do we make believe that humans do not need to periodically relieve themselves. We have almost zero public restrooms, yet arrest anyone seen going potty in the bushes. This is particularly a problem for us old folks. The American public scene is characterized by a lot of bladder pain. So here is a solution that works for me: When I was a rather old student pilot (46 in 1980), midway into my first solo cross-country flight to Astoria I realized that I needed a “rest stop.” Upon landing at Astoria, I was holding my legs so tight together that I could hardly work the controls and nearly got arrested for excessive taxi speed trying to get to the men’s room at the FBO (fixed-base operator). Discussing this problem later with my instructor, he advised me to get a “range extender” for use in flight. As a result, I never again went airborne without my range extender (an empty Costco plastic peanut jar works great). This progressed to keeping a range extender in every one of my vehicles, because like being airborne, the roadside restrooms are mostly absent. So, here is my advice to ferry lane holders: get a range extender. Works for men. The ladies will have to come up with their own solution. Paul Diehl Kingston
An egregious attack on our schools Children of Washington state take a back seat in the Legislature again. Plastic bags, driving in the rain with headlights, and gay marriage are much more important in Olympia. Kids can’t vote, so year after year the arrogant, self-centered elected leaders of our state ignore our schools. Frank Chopp has an iron grip on every Democrat in the House. Nothing sees the light of day without his blessing. The Senate is the same. The governor gives lip service. She called a special session of the Legislature, paid them for doing nothing, and still has no budget solution. While bloated bureaucracies mushroom and gorge on tax dollars, children in our schools receive less and less. But teachers and principals are held accountable when their schools cannot meet all the mandates the state imposes. The state Supreme Court ruled the Legislature is not meeting its Constitutional responsibility to education; Frank Chopp says
they’ll “try” to fix that by 2018. So, what happens to our children between now and then? It will take a decade to rebuild the programs, libraries, teaching staff, etc., and in the meantime, more kids are robbed of the one thing that most parents can’t provide without public schools. This illegal and senseless tragedy has occurred over several terms, but Gov. Gregoire has presided over the latest most egregious attacks on our schools. Her legacy and that of her legislative body of friends will be the disintegration of Washington state public schools. Thanks, Queen Chris, you’ll be remembered. Carrie Riplinger Seabeck
Event reminds us that many bowls are empty It is a pleasure to live in a town such as Poulsbo, with generous community members. Although each of us has been dealing with the economic downturn in our own way, the spirit of sharing and caring lives in the souls of Poulsbo residents. It is through the generosity of residents and businesses that the
Fishline Food Bank successfully held its first annual fundraiser “Empty Bowls” on Jan 28. The concept of Empty Bowls was simple: The public was invited to the fundraiser to choose a hand-painted bowl, have it filled with warm soup for a $15 donation, and then take the bowl home as a reminder that for many, bowls are often empty. It takes a dedicated community to put this event together. I would like to thank several of our sponsors. Susan Butler, owner of Indy Studio, took on the project as the bowl painting studio for us all to paint at for nearly six months. She provided her space, time and expertise for all painters and donated many of her signature pieces. Local artists from the Verksted Gallery are long-time supporters of the Food Bank and once again they provided the most beautiful works of art imaginable for us to auction. The ceramics class at NKHS actually made bowls, then painted them! Central Market did an amazing job in providing four outstanding soups for us to serve. Paige Remington of Remington See LETTERS, Page A5
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