Marijuana: The Path To Legalization In Washington State

How long does it take to get a prescription for medical marijuana? More than a few minutes, according to the Washington State Department of Health.  State regulators have suspended the license of a Seattle-area naturopath who did a brisk business at Hempfest event 2011.

With all the talk about the legalization of marijuana perhaps you’ve been caught in a haze and haven’t been paying attention to what is going on with Washington’s long legal medical marijuana. Well changes are being proposed there too. Washington Senator Ann Rivers has proposed legislation that would task the Liquor Control Board with licensing and regulating medical marijuana dispensaries, processors and growers. Ann Rivers talks to Ross Reynolds about why she thinks further regulation is necessary.

Pot possession is now legal in Washington.  But city and state regulators are drawing the line at marijuana use in bars and coffee shops.

Last November, Bob Ferguson became Washington state’s 18th attorney general. One of the biggest issues he faces is how the federal government will approach legalized marijuana in Washington state. Ferguson met with Attorney General Eric Holder in January and so far, a clear policy has yet to emerge. Ferguson says if legalized marijuana is challenged by the feds, he'll defend it. What questions do you have for Attorney General Bob Ferguson? What should his priorities be? Call us at 800.289.5869 or email weekday@kuow.org.

Both Washington and Colorado have passed measures legalizing marijuana. Here in Washington, the Washington State Liquor Control Board is busy hammering out how marijuana will be grown, sold, and regulated. But there are still many questions, from how the federal government will respond to a legal weed market, how to monitor marijuana potency, how to effectively measuring and enforcing marijuana impairment levels in drivers.

For answers, KUOW’s Steve Scher talked with Thomas McLellan, Ph.D. He’s CEO and co-founder of the Treatment Research Institute, and is an internationally known substance abuse researcher and public policy expert. Most recently, he served as deputy director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy under the Obama-Biden administration, where he was heavily involved in health care reform.

Interview has been edited for clarity.