Yesterday, the Seattle Times reported that Governor Christine Gregoire was concerned that Jeanne Kohl-Welles' (D-36, Ballard) legislation to reform the state's medical marijuana system wouldn't jibe with federal law. Gregoire sent a letter to the Department of Justice and received a response late yesterday, the Times reports:

In a letter to Gov. Chris Gregoire on Thursday, U.S. Attorneys Jenny Durkan of Seattle and Michael Ormsby of Spokane wrote that the bill would undermine drug enforcement and could result in an array of prosecutions or civil penalties against dispensary owners and growers, as well as against state regulators enforcing the proposed law.

[...] "In light of the Department of Justice's guidance, it is clear that I cannot sign a bill that authorizes our state employees to license marijuana dispensaries when the department would prosecute those involved," Gregoire said in a statement Thursday evening. She pledged to work with lawmakers on a new proposal.

Kohl-Welles went on KUOW this afternoon and expressed some doubt that federal officials would actually punish state officials for setting up and administering a medical marijuana system. "I understand [the governor's] concern—she doesn't want to put state employees at risk of arrest," Kohl-Welles said, adding that she had a "hard time imagining" federal officials arresting people who are administering the medical marijuana program, filing paperwork, or licensing dispensaries.

"With this bill we will have the tightest most regulated system of licensing of any state in the country," the senator argued. Kohl-Welles also said that despite the recent hiccup she was "encouraged and optimistic" that legislators and regulators could reach an agreement, though acknowledged that there could be some significant changes to her bill.

We have put calls in to house speaker Rep. Frank Chopp (D-43, Seattle) and majority leader Sen. Lisa Brown (D-3, Spokane) to see how the leadership will approach changes to the legislation.