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Gregoire vetoes parts of medical marijuana bill

The Columbian
Published: April 29, 2011, 12:00am

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire has vetoed key parts of a bill that aimed to regulate medical marijuana dispensaries.

Gregoire said Friday she could not approve the measure after the state’s two U.S. attorneys said that state regulators would not be immune from prosecution. A union that represents thousands of state employees asked Gregoire to veto the bill.

A key section of the proposal would have regulated medical marijuana dispensaries. But federal prosecutors say it would create a licensing scheme that permits large-scale marijuana cultivation and distribution. Federal law classifies marijuana as a controlled substance.

Gregoire says she is still approving parts of the bill that allow cooperative marijuana growing and new protections against state criminal and civil penalties. She also wants to continue working with the Legislature on the issue.

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