Worried about blood tests, Medical pot patients file initiative

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Medical marijuana patients who oppose an initiative to legalize marijuana have filed a counter initiative.

The opponents of Initiative 502 filed the "Safe Cannabis Act" with the secretary of state's office Friday morning.

Initiative sponsor Mimi Meiwes says she and other medical marijuana patients are concerned about what they see as an overly strict blood test limit for driving under the influence under I-502.

The new initiative has not yet received a number yet. The draft of the initiative must first be approved by the offices of the state code reviser and the state attorney general, which could take a few weeks.

The measure would decriminalize marijuana for medical marijuana patients, would provide patients and providers with protection from arrest and would classify hemp as an agricultural product.