If Sloggers are going, maybe we could have a meetup and march together?

Is there a chance we'll ever get more information about whether the marijuana was really the decision-maker in Garon's case?

Showing up to a medical marijuana march stoned, carrying, or smoking, seems a little tasteless.

...the committee looks at a number of other issues, including behavioral concerns such as a history of substance abuse or dependency.

Was use of pot, under a physicians care, considered substance abuse? I replied seeking clarification.

Dear Clare,

Thanks for sending this.

Does use of marijuana, under a physicians care and legal under state law, qualify as "substance abuse" under the committee's criteria?

Dominic

Dominic, In answer to your question, I refer you back to the first sentence of our statement: Although medical marijuana may be an issue in rare cases, it is never the sole determinant in arriving at medical decisions about candidates for organ transplants, and whether a patient is listed. Clare Hagerty Assistant Director for Media Relations Health Sciences / UW Medicine

Clare,

I saw that, but the statement doesn't address the question: Does the use of marijuana, under a physicians care and legal under state law, qualify as "substance abuse" under the committee's criteria?

Thanks,
Dominic

The UW never replied, which I take to mean that medical pot is substance abuse in the eyes of the transplant team. Even if that's not the sole reason, according to everything they have indicated, it was the deciding variable. And, at the risk of sound like a broken record, if he'd take a federally approved drug for pain and nausea that actually caused liver damage, he probably would have received the transplant. And that's bullshit: marijuana is legal under state law and should be recognized as such by a state hospital.

I think your dramatically overestimating the number of us who will die a horrific death. Don't be such a downer.

Good point.

I hate the idea of hiding behind sick people on this.

Yes, yes, incremental change, small victories, etc.

I represented Tim on his felony charges up here. He was growing marijuana for his own use, as prescribed by a licensed physician. On December 18, 2007, Tim's Mountlake Terrace home was raided by Lynnwood police officers, at which time they essentially confiscated everything in his house, including his guitar. He was subsequently charged with Manufacture of a Controlled Substance.

Under Washington's medical marijuana law (RCW 69.51A), a patient who is legally prescribed marijuana my produce and possess up to a 60 day supply. Unfortunately, the law does not define what constitutes a 60 day supply. Consequently, gung ho, war-on-drug cowboys are left to determine for themselves what is meant by a 60 day supply. And in Tim's case, police and prosecutors arbitrarily decided he had too much.

While Washington's medical marijuana law is a good step in the right direction, it obviously isn't perfect. Because of it's vagueness, people like Tim are put in a position to decide for themselves what is meant by a 60 day supply and still risk prosecution if authorities decide that what they have is too much. It's ridiculous.

It is tragic that Tim was denied his place on the liver transplant list. And it is also appalling that the State decided to put him in the position of defending his legislative right to possess and produce his medicine, adding absolutely needless stress and concern in the last months of his life.

I believe in medical marijuana. That said, I don't believe for one minute that most of the marchers at the march will be there for that particular cause. Lest you forget, the Million Marijuana March has been going on for almost ten years and, if my memory is correct, I don't remember it initially being specifically about medical marijuana, but more of a pre-Hempfest throwdown. That first year's march I was on a bus to Capitol Hill, which was the starting point. About a dozen hacky-sack weilding crusty street kids board the bus at 45th and University and proceed to blaze up a bowl while repeatedly yelling "4:20 in back of the bus!"

Plus, if you've seen the posters for this event, it looks like just another pro-pot march. To paraphrase Chris Rock (and I know I've said this before so my apologize) I love pot, but I hate stoners. And the stoners have got to go.

this is just one person's opinion, but it sure sucks to feel excluded and unwelcome from the march for your own cause!

I used to organize the marijuana marches, and after giving a speech at one of the rallies while wearing slacks, a button-up shirt, and a tie, an attorney who spoke at the march came up to me and said, pointing to some hippies in the crowd, "The problem here is that these people marching need to be wearing suits and ties."

And I said to him, "The problem is that people who own suits and ties aren't marching."

If you don't want the issue marginalized by people who don't look like you, then you're the one who needs to start doing something. Not the other way around.