The Washington State Senate passed a bill this week that would add post-traumatic stress disorder as a qualifying condition for a medical marijuana prescription. Senate Bill 5379 was passed unanimously by the chamber on Tuesday night, and is now being considered in the House of Representatives.
State Senator Steven Hobbs (D-Lake Stevens), who sponsored the bill, noted that it has the support of the Veteran’s Administration, and assured retired veterans who use medical marijuana to manage symptoms related to PTSD that they would not be risking the loss of their benefits.
Washington’s first medical marijuana law was passed in 1998. Voters approved a bill that allowed doctors to recommend, although not prescribe, medical cannabis on behalf of those suffering from cancer and other medical conditions that result in “intractable pain.”
In 2012, Washington became one of the first states in the country to pass a bill legalizing the sale of recreational marijuana. The state’s first recreational dispensaries began opening for business last summer.
Sources:
http://www.king5.com/story/news/politics/2015/03/11/senate-passes-ptsd-marijuana-bill/70146316/
Photo Credit: Melanie Tata