A state panel will try to define a proper supply of medical marijuana. Whatever the group proposes is likely to be insufficient.
Those of us with chronic illnesses know that everyone’s condition and symptoms are different. If Washington follows Oregon by defining the allowable supply as so many ounces or so many plants, it will be more than some people need and less than others need.
The best course is to let a patient’s physician define the amount that the patient needs for a 60-day period. The patient can keep a prescription showing how much he can keep.
The state should then do two more things:
It should protect suppliers of medical marijuana by letting them keep and grow enough pot for the number of patients they have and enough plants to maintain that supply. The growers would keep copies of their patients’ prescriptions.
It should create rules to prohibit police from cooperating with federal authorities who try to arrest medical-marijuana users and suppliers.
No reason to mark a Republican ballot in the primary
There’s no reason to vote on the Republican side of the primary ballot.
The only partisan offices — county assessor and prosecutor —- have one Republican candidate each. If you vote on the Democratic side, you’ll get to help choose a candidate for prosecutor.
Too many elected county officials
So, we’re electing a county assessor. Why?
It’s a job for professionals not politicians. Electing an assessor is like electing a county engineer or health director.
Most Washington counties elect an assessor. They also elect a county clerk, a coroner, a prosecutor, a sheriff, a county treasurer and a county auditor. They are governed by three commissioners, who have both executive and legislative authority. This changed for four counties in the 1970s when state law gave them the right to create home-rule charters. King County’s charter created a single executive and a county council, but made most of the other offices appointed. The new law didn’t allow any changes in the office of prosecuting attorney.
For some reason, King County kept a separately elected assessor.
A few years ago, we made the office of sheriff elective.
This violates the principle that people make better decisions when they have fewer to make.
Now comes a ballot measure to elect a county auditor. I agree that the chief elections official shouldn’t work for a partisan official, but I’ll oppose it until we eliminate one of the other elected positions, either assessor or sheriff. Stop increasing the number of elected officials. Otherwise, we may go back to electing a coroner.
Evan Smith is the Enterprise Forum editor. Send comments to entopinion@heraldnet.com.
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