4 Articles Physicians are too afraid of prosecution to risk their licenses by approving marijuana for patients' use. Police are suspicious. Patients themselves say medicinal pot might as well still be illegal. Many are struggling to find a safe source on their limited budgets. No health insurance plan covers medicinal marijuana in Washington, the sixth state to pass such a law.
All sides agree that the smoke is unlikely to clear until the law is tested in court.
Until then, many patients in chronic pain may resort to making street-corner drug deals. The Spokane woman first used marijuana in 1994 when multiple sclerosis left her unable to swallow. She remains dependent on the drug, but her doctor, fearing legal repercussions, won't give her the required note authorizing marijuana use. She's careful to avoid drawing police attention, but still worries. Problems are worst in Eastern Washington, according to a Seattle-based group that provides patients with medical marijuana and information on how to grow it.