Ives is caught in a jurisdictional dispute involving tribal, state and federal law. As a Washington citizen, she could vote for the medical marijuana law. But it doesn't apply to her as long as she lives on the Colville Reservation, where tribal and federal law hold sway. The state law allows, with a physician's approval, a person to have a 60-day supply of marijuana to treat a number of illnesses and disorders. In a plea agreement last week, Colville Tribal Court Judge Steven Aycock sentenced Ives, a Nespelem resident who is not a Colville tribal member, to 20 hours of community service.
Ives suffers from a painful constipating condition known as irritable bowel syndrome.
Colville tribal law, such as federal law, doesn't allow the medical use of marijuana. Federal law says tribal law applies to all recognized American Indians, no matter what tribe they're enrolled in. Ives is a Duwamish Indian, enrolled in the Suquamish tribe. Moving off the Colville Reservation is not an option. Ives' husband, James, is a Colville tribal member, and Nespelem is their home.