Washington State Advocacy Group Opposes Newest Dispensary Bill

The state senate has introduced a follow-up bill to the devastating legislation that was partially-vetoed by the governor two weeks ago. SB 5955 would ostensibly authorize nonprofit dispensaries, but in reality, it would effectively ban dispensaries outside of Seattle.

For the few remaining dispensaries that can raise an affirmative defense in court it requires registration with the secretary of state and department of health. Any group of three or more patients living together and growing cannabis would face mandatory registration with the department of health and secretary of state. Nonprofit dispensaries would be required to keep a copy of every patient’s state ID on-site. Patients and providers are enticed into registering their medical cannabis status with the state government, one of the primary sponsors of the terror perpetrated against our community.

The Cannabis Defense Coalition opposes SB 5955. We believe it is hastily drafted legislation. We believe it will have dramatically negative effects on safe access to medical cannabis throughout Washington State. We believe it is part of an effort by law enforcement to weaken our state law. We believe it will require the few remaining dispensaries who haven’t had their affirmative defense yanked by the governor to register with the state for easy targeting by local police and the federal government.

Fast-Track Hearing Wednesday

The state is fast-tracking this legislation in hopes of gutting our law even more before the special legislative session is over, and before its citizens can tell what has happened. The governor and law enforcement are pushing for the registry, and attempting to entice the medical cannabis community with language that will ostensibly allow Seattle to legalize nonprofit medical cannabis dispensaries. A Ways and Means hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, May 11 at 10:30 a.m. Such is the “no time to discuss this” nature of this bill that the time for the hearing was set 18 hours before the hearing.

Contact Ways and Means members!

Contact the democratic and republican leadership on the Ways and Means committee:

Email all committee members: edward.murray@leg.wa.gov, derek.kilmer@leg.wa.gov, joseph.zarelli@leg.wa.gov, linda.parlette@leg.wa.gov, michael.baumgartner@leg.wa.gov, jeff.baxter@leg.wa.gov, lisa.brown@leg.wa.gov, steve.conway@leg.wa.gov, karen.fraser@leg.wa.gov, brian.hatfield@leg.wa.gov, mike.hewitt@leg.wa.gov, janea.holmquistnewbry@leg.wa.gov, jim.honeyford@leg.wa.gov, jim.kastama@leg.wa.gov, karen.keiser@leg.wa.gov, jeanne.kohl-welles@leg.wa.gov, cheryl.pflug@leg.wa.gov, craig.pridemore@leg.wa.gov, debbie.regala@leg.wa.gov, phil.rockefeller@leg.wa.gov, mark.schoesler@leg.wa.gov, rodney.tom@leg.wa.gov

Email these senators with a simple message: Please stop SB 5955. It is rash legislation, drafted in haste, and the legislature knows not what it is doing.

Add whatever personal touches you like. Just know that we have very limited time to tell the legislature that we oppose this train wreck of a bill.

Provided By Cannabis Defense Coalition