A newspaper editorial board in Tri-Cities Washington comes up with an obvious solution to lack of access to medical marijuana for the state’s patients:
A couple of Sundays ago, we ran a front-page story about the difficulties patients face while trying to obtain marijuana for approved medical uses.
A little deeper in the paper, we published the court records, which included mention of one man’s brief jail sentence for marijuana possession, presumably for non-approved uses.
A handful of news pages separated the two items, but it occurred to us there’s a potential connection that might reap real benefits.
Patients are caught in a Catch-22, where it’s legal to possess marijuana and use it as medicine, but practically impossible to obtain it legally.
Meanwhile, what happens to the illegal user’s supply?
No doubt, confiscated marijuana is destroyed as soon as it’s no longer needed as evidence.
Why not make it available to a legitimate user instead?
While patients have difficulties obtaining the drug, police are spending time and money to destroy it. It’s not too big of a stretch to see the opportunity here.
Don’t be too quick to dismiss the idea as folly. The potential benefits are worth considering.
In states where medical marijuana is legal, authorities worry about whether distributors also are supplying the illegal market.
That concern would disappear if the local precinct house served as the dispensary. It’s tough to imagine anyone but legitimate medical users showing up at the police station to ask for pot.
There would be logistical problems, but police aren’t strangers to dealing in contraband. They’ve been auctioning off stereos, TVs, bikes and other unclaimed property for decades.
All the paraphernalia needed to weigh and package marijuana are confiscated during raids on illegal operations, so there’d be little required in the way of additional investment.
It doesn’t make sense for society to make the treatment legal but force those it can help to become criminals just to get their medicine.
It’s just as senseless for society to destroy marijuana that could easily be put in the hands of legitimate medical users.
via A modest proposal for medical marijuana – Opinions | Tri-City Herald : Mid-Columbia news .
What a perfectly reasonable suggestion! It helps sick and dying people acquire medicine, it helps police get rid of criminal marijuana evidence, and they get to make money off it as well. It’s a win-win-win scenario!
Which is why every police organization and every state government that has been approached about this idea (it’s not a new one) has dismissed it out of hand entirely. Here in Oregon they told us that was tantamount to making the police become “drug dealers”. They told us they couldn’t because marijuana is federally illegal, which is bullshit since their badge gives them protection from the Controlled Substances Act (this is why cops aren’t charged with trafficking and possession when they move a cache of weed and plants from our homes to their homes, er, I mean, evidence lockers). But really, it’s because cops hate weed, cops hate weed smokers, there is no such thing as “so-called medical marijuana” in their view, and damned if they are going to hand over weed to weed smokers who are faking it to get medicine (again, their view).
I would prefer the police stop seizing the pot in the first place.
While I continue to support all these medical initiatives, lets be careful of the slippery slope medical resides on. Federally regulated marijuana dispensaries are not what we need. Marijuana only for terminally ill is not a solution to the issue and has the potential to create larger problems for recreational users if the FDA gets involved.
Try not to take your eye off the ball. Helping victims of the drug war propaganda overcome their brainwashing. Being able to openly express our culture and live a lifestyle without fear of incarceration.
Hah! I could see the ad in the paper “Police put pot on auction”. Only legal distributors of this illegal substance will be permitted to bid. Bring your cash and your baggies. No smoking.
Sounds reasonable at first blush, but must agree with other posters. I’m too damn healthy to qualify for mmj. Been an occasional toker since 1970. Sure would like to fire up a legal joint before I go. Looks like I might make it.
You make good points. I’d prefer that the police just give the seized weed to non-profits for distribution to patients.
Just another way to put a good face on tyranny. Theft is theft regardless of the fact that they have given themselves permission to steal. Selling it to others just compounds the criminality and hypocracy .”They can steal it from us and sell it but we can’t even grow it to GIVE away.
No, I’m giving this one a solid thumbs DOWN.
While this is a noble idea… It is HORRIBLE! Telling the cops to give confiscated weed from “illegal” busts to medical users is like saying it’s ok to bust the rest of us. If they did ever accept the idea, the revenue that they would generate from selling it would just fuel their desires to bust the recreational smoker. I for one am not willing to let this be the case.. If I am ever involved in a bust they will pry my weed from my cold dead hands or I’ll pry it from theirs.
While on the surface this may seem like a good idea, think a bit deeper. Do you really want to obtain medicine from the “cops hate weed…cops hate weed smokers” cops? It wasn’t that long ago The Stash reported on grit weed (with crushed glass), and it isn’t that long a stretch to believe our boys in blue might think that just might be a good way to thin the ranks of tokers. Also, would you want to obtain weed from a total stranger, then provide it to someone without being able to be sure of what you’re providing? Haven’t we been told time and time again to not trust an unknown source? Not all tokers are nice people, and some are outright bad. Give patients safe and legal access with dispensaries or other, proven, distribution methods.
Why Not? Cops have been selling Marijuana for years!