SEATTLE (AP) — Gov. Chris Gregoire says she won’t sign legislation to create licensed medical marijuana dispensaries in Washington state after the Justice Department warned it could result in a federal crackdown.
The two U.S. attorneys in the state told Gregoire in a letter Thursday that bills passed by the Washington House and Senate would permit large-scale marijuana growing and distribution systems in violation of federal law. They warned that growers, sellers, landlords and even state employees who license such operations could face prosecution.
Gregoire says there’s no way she can sign a law that would open state employees to federal prosecution. But she says there are problems with the state’s medical marijuana law that make it difficult for sick people to get the drug, and she’ll cooperate with lawmakers to address those problems.
