Northwest Leaf Votes No on I-502

I-502 is a legalization initiative that will destroy Washington's medical cannabis industry and criminalize legally authorized patients. It's backed by a group called New Approach Washington, which has joined forces with the ACLU and a very small group of investors who have contributed $3.2 million in campaign donations. Seem off? It gets worse. Here are five important reasons why every caregiver and patient must vote NO on I-502.

1. The DUI statute
I-502 sets legal driving limits for patients and recreational users alike - without any designation between the two. Essentially, any patient on a regular medicating schedule would be considered illegal to drive. There is a zero tolerance section for those under 21.
Luckily some are working against this terrible idea. As noted on the Patients Against New Approach website, "Initiative 502 creates a new law that makes it illegal to drive with 5 mg/ml of active THC in your bloodstream even if you are not impaired. That level is NOT supported by science and would subject patients to highly-invasive blood testing, unnecessary confinement and a criminal conviction that will haunt them for life." Essentially, if you medicate on a Monday, you wouldn't be considered "legal" to drive until Tuesday, possibly even Wednesday, regardless of impairment. That is not acceptable for patients.

Gil Mobley, MD, who specializes as a medical review officer (drug screenings) had this to say about the DUI statute: "If 502 passes, there won't be a doctor in the state who can ethically recommend cannabis knowing that it will take away their patients' right to drive. It will make innocent patients and recreational users into criminals. We need to correlate a DUI law with roadside impairment tests - not a baseless number."

2. State Run Access Points
I-502 would regulate marijuana like liquor was, and Washington's voters are tired of that. In addition, there would be a 25 percent special tax levied against all sales. The other cause/effect of this would be the disappearance of privately run collectives. No more patient to patient collective access means lower quality medicine, less information and no skilled budtenders to guide you. It's a major step backwards. The current system allows for privacy, choice and free market principles that ensure quality and innovation.

3. New Possession Limits
I-502 would limit patients to one ounce of dried cannabis, one pound of medibles and 72 ounces of cannabis-infused liquids. Currently in Seattle, possession for non-medical patients is decriminalized up to 48 grams. Under I-502, possession north of 40 grams becomes a felony. This would make more non violent users felons and destroy the medically authorized limits patients have now.

4. Mass Production of Product
There's a lot of cash being thrown at this initiative by industrious backers. There's a reason: It would take away the rights of individuals to cultivate their own medicine. What kind of legalization doesn't let you grow? Instead, a limited amount of facilities (and owners) would be allowed to produce the cannabis for the state-run access points. This means lower quality, mass-produced pot and high profits for only a select few. We cannot support a marijuana monopoly.

5. The Federal Government
The Feds have made it clear they will intervene if states enact legalization measures. Do we really need more raids and negative attention for cannabis? To wit, initiatives campaign director Alison Holcomb of the ACLU said she has no idea what will happen if I-502 is voted into law. "This is an evolving area of the law," Holcomb told The Seattle Times. "We'd be foolhardy to say we think we know what's going to happen."
If the director of the campaign thinks it's foolhardy, patients and voters have no reason to support it. I-502 is a risk we cannot take.

Patients of Washington- Don't Let I-502 Take Our Rights!

It's not right for medicine, and it's not right for patients.

Don't sign, and keep this privatized initiative off our ballots.