Up to the minute results:
http://event.cbs.com/state/state_wa.html
Sponsors: Washington Citizens for Medical Rights
Web: http://www.eventure.com/i692/
Web: http://www.hemp.net/news/initiative.html
Washington Sectretary of State:
http://209.43.151.101/vote98/reports/m_statewide.tmpl
More information on Washington State's Medical Marijuana Initiative:
http://www.levellers.org/wastat.htm
1) Therapeutic Model (Washington
D.C. and Washington State)
These initiatives were modeled on the ideas embodied in the California
Compassionate Use Act (CCUA - Prop. 215) passed by California voters in
1996. These initiatives were written by the local grassroots patients
and patient advocates and put the needs of the patient first.
2) Law Enforcement Model (Alaska,
Colorado, Oregon and
Nevada)
These initiatives were written by Americans for Medical Rights to appease
law enforcement concerns about the CCUA. Since this model diverges
so greatly from the California model, many patients have serious concerns
about these initiatives.
We asked four questions about each initiative:
1) Does the initiative allow patients to possess and cultivate an
adequate supply of medicine?
The City Council of Oakland, California, adopted a standard of six
pounds of cannabis and 144 plants as necessary to maintain an adequate
supply for patients. This was based on the amount of cannabis currently
supplied by the federal government to eight patients in the Investigative
New Drug program.
2) Does the initiative allow for legal distribution to patients?
Legal distribution is important to protect patients from having to
obtain their medicine from the black market.
3) Does the initiative protect patients who are not registered with
the state?
Many of the initiatives that follow the law enforcement model require
a patient to register with the state to receive protection of the law.
Many civil libertarians and AIDS patients are concerned that the confidentiality
of the registry is not guaranteed and that law enforcement would use the
registry to target medicinal cannabis users for harrassment.
4) Is the initiative a constitutional or statutory law?
Constitutional amendments are much harder to change than statutory
laws are.
Text of Initiative 692
http://www.wa.gov/sec/vote98/i692txt.htm
Allows patients to possess and cultivate an adequate supply? YES, allows a patient to possess or cultivate a 60 day supply.
Allows for distribution to patients? YES, I 692 would not preclude the distribution of cannabis to patients
Protects patients who are not registered with the state? YES, does not require patients to enter an official registry of marijuana users. Patients must only present a written recommendation from a licensed physician, similar to a prescription.
Constitutional or Statutory? Statutory.
Washington State Elections Division
http://www.wa.gov/sec/
July 2, 1998: Washington State
activists turn in over 250,000 signatures for Initiave 692
(Goal: 179,000 valid signatures)
Text of Washington State Initiative 692
Washington State: Progress Towards Unity?