Gov. Chris Gregoire and Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chaffee have filed with the DEA and Federal Government to have marijuana reclassified so it can be legally prescribed.

Currently the drug is classified as a "schedule 1" drug, meaning it cannot be legally prescribed by a licensed physician, or used for medical purposes.  Washington is one of a number of states that now has a medical marijuana law, but often times, DEA and states are clashing over drug busts or possession of the drug.  It has been a very tense issue;  medical marijuana is necessary according to some professionals and had legitimate uses.  DEA and other government officials claim too many individuals are misusing permits to grow by selling to non-prescribed individuals.  In the Mid Columbia and Eastern Washington alone in the last year, double-digit numbers of individuals have been raided and arrested by DEA and local enforcement officials who found what were supposed to be legal, licensed growing operations were in fact many times their alloted size; and the people were making thousands of dollars by selling to anyone who wanted it.  The issue of schedule 1 or 2 (which is what Gregoire wants it changed to) is really moot;  the latest issue is much of the medical marijuana industry is being misused.   Besides the licensed but "illegal" illegal growing operations, people have been also arrested for posssessing marijuana cards obtained fraudulently,  or stockpiling multiple cards under aliases.  This has also been detrimental to those medical patients who legally were prescribed the drug.

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