Sharon Tracy "may have been exactly the kind of patient the voters of this state had in mind when they enacted the medical marijuana initiative, I-692." So said the Washington State Supreme Court in a Nov. 22 ruling about a woman who suffers from, among other things, diabetes, heart disease, degenerating discs in her back, a hip deformity, and who has had a series of eight corrective surgeries for a ruptured colon and bowel conditions. On her doctor's recommendation, Sharon Tracy was using marijuana to treat her pain. [continues 643 words]
OLYMPIA -- A voter-approved initiative allowing doctors to recommend medicinal marijuana does not apply to cases where the doctor is licensed outside of the state of Washington, the state Supreme Court ruled Wednesday. "The initiative could have, but did not, define a qualifying doctor as one with a valid license from any state," Justice Tom Chambers wrote in the 6-3 majority decision. Initiative 692 passed in 1998 with 59 percent of the vote. It gives doctors the right to recommend -- but not prescribe -- marijuana for people suffering from cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma and other conditions that cause "intractable pain." [continues 507 words]
Doctor Approval - Washington's Top Court Rules on Who Can Give Recommendations for Use OLYMPIA -- A voter-approved initiative allowing doctors to recommend medicinal marijuana does not apply to cases where the doctor is licensed outside the state of Washington, the Washington Supreme Court ruled Wednesday. "The initiative could have, but did not, define a qualifying doctor as one with a valid license from any state," Justice Tom Chambers wrote in the 6-3 majority decision. Initiative 692 passed in 1998 with 59 percent of the vote. It gives doctors the right to recommend -- but not prescribe -- marijuana for people suffering from cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma and other conditions that cause "intractable pain." [continues 381 words]
