US Senators for WA Must Find Patient-Friendly Replacement for Durkan

With the resignation of U.S. Attorney for Western Washington Jenny Durkan, patients in Washington State need to make sure that her replacement will show at least the same level of respect for our medical cannabis program. That is why ASA-WA is having its voice heard by organizing patients at monthly meetings and asking everyone to send letters to Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell that explain the importance of protecting patient’s safe access when making their recommendations for Durkan’s replacement.    

Senators Murray and Cantwell need to hear from the Washington medical cannabis patient community because of the great influence they wield in determining the next U.S. Attorney for Western Washington.  If they recommend a patient-friendly replacement for Durkan, they can help deter raids from federal law enforcement agencies.

Now that autumn is here and harvest season is in full effect, medical cannabis growers are getting ready to start processing all that wonderfully grown outdoor medicine.  The DEA has also started ramping up its annual raid operations in their quest to enforce federal prohibition laws.  With raids currently happening throughout California, word is out that it is only a matter of time before similar enforcement heads north to collectives in Washington State.

When U.S. Attorney Jenny Durken stepped down from her position earlier this year, many patients became concerned that the next U.S. Attorney could be less accepting of medical cannabis in Western Washington.  Now more than ever patients must unify our voice so we can create a stable infrastructure that will allow for home growing, store front access, delivery and arrest protection.

Take a few minutes to read over the prewritten letter and please sign and share it with your friends, local business owners and anyone else who is concerned about protecting patients’ rights to safe access of their medicine.  Education is the key to understanding this issue, and who better to educate our elected officials than the people who use cannabis as medicine and know that it works! 

Tell your friends to sign and send the letter, bring one to your favorite business owner and make sure your doctor gets one to send off also!  With all our voices united WE CAN make a positive change through democracy, WE CAN leave our home in a better place than we found it, but WE MUST get involved. 

Please take a minute to help us be heard by writing these letters to Senators Murray and Cantwell and help Washington be the leaders in medical cannabis legislation and reform.

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Tyler J. Markwart is a medical cannabis breeder, producer and also a photojournalist for The Northwest Leaf, LadyBud and Culture magazines.  Currently residing in Seattle, Washington he is an avid activist for civil rights, writing mostly about drug policy and also emerging cannabis technologies. With 20 years of cannabis agriculture experience, Tyler aims to provide the most reliable, scientific data available to the community.