Safe Access To Medical Marijuana Is At Risk In Kent, Washington
On June 5th, 2012, the Kent City Council will be voting to ban all safe access points to medical cannabis within city limits. Beyond this ban showing a lack of compassion for the terminally ill and the suffering, its passing would be blatantly ignoring the will of our voters, as well as current state law allowing collective garden access points.
Because of this, and many other reasons, Sensible Washington and State Representative Roger Goodman, are co-sponsoring a letter to the Kent City Council (posted below), pleading for them to consider the consequences of this ban, and to vote it down.
In addition to this, Sensible Washington will be holding a rally outside of Kent City Hall starting at 6pm, leading to the council meeting at 7pm.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at [email protected] or call 206-799-8696.
- Below is the letter being sent to Kent City Council. We plan to add additional sponsors before sending it on Friday, June 1st.
To The City Council of Kent:
We, the undersigned, hereby formally petition you, the members of the Kent City Council, to respect the wishes and demands of the voters of Washington State, to act in adherence to the laws adopted by our state in regards to medical cannabis (pursuant to RCW 69.51a), and to cease and desist any and all attacks on qualifying medical cannabis patients, medical providers, and safe access points within the City of Kent.
Our state’s voters and elected officials have recognized the need to allow safe access to medical cannabis for qualifying patients, and have declared that those who cannot provide themselves with said medical cannabis are within their rights to procure a provider; “Qualifying patients may create and participate in collective gardens for the purpose of producing, processing, transporting, and delivering cannabis for medical use” – RCW 69.51A.085.
To deny the citizens of Kent this right will be viewed as lacking compassion, as you would be denying safe and local access to a medicine that has proven to be an effective treatment for a variety of serious ailments.
We would like to state that, as elected representatives, you have a duty to honor the wishes of your constituents, and respect the will of your electors. The will of Kent and Washington State citizens is that qualifying patients should be allowed safe access to medical cannabis. Furthermore, any vote to ban safe access in the City of Kent will be viewed as an action against the will of the residents of the City of Kent, and as a violation of Washington State law.
We ask that you review this letter with great consideration of the harm you will do to your community by denying much-needed medicine to the seriously ill, and through decreasing public safety by forcing these patients to the dangerous black-market, benefiting criminals and criminal organizations. We formally petition you, as the City Council of Kent, to vote against a ban on medical cannabis safe access points within the City of Kent.
Sincerely Signed:
– State Representative Roger Goodman
– Sensible Washington
