I was distressed to read about Christine Rose Baggett, the 66-year-old great-grandmother and qualifying medical marijuana patient charged as a felon ("Surprise side effect," June 5). From your story, it appears Ms. Baggett came to the attention of law enforcement while acquiring medical marijuana from another individual.

Due to federal law, Ms. Baggett cannot obtain medical marijuana through her local pharmacy. As a result, she and other patients continue to struggle with the question of how they can obtain the medical marijuana their physicians have authorized for their use.

Fortunately, the Washington state Legislature took an important step this session toward solving this problem. We passed Senate Bill 6032, which I sponsored and has been signed into law. It requires the state Department of Health to examine and report on the alternatives other states have developed for providing patients "adequate, safe, consistent, and secure" access to medical marijuana.

That report is due July 1, 2008, and it promises to offer the Legislature an opportunity to improve our medical marijuana law in ways that might solve the problems that led to Ms. Baggett's arrest. In the meantime, I hope the Spokane County prosecutor will remember, when considering Ms. Baggett's case, the intent of the voters who overwhelmingly approved the Medical Use of Marijuana Act.

State Senator Jeanne Kohl-Welles
Seattle