The new Seattle medical marijuana ordinance was signed by Mayor Mike McGinn on the morning of Wednesday, July 27, which recognizes medical marijuana co-ops as regular businesses and implements a licensing and regulation system for medical marijuana in the city of Seattle.

Many of the existing State medical marijuana laws remain in effect including rules that limit amounts of marijuana plants and dried marijuana that any qualified patient and/or designated provider can possess.

An addition to the State law is allowing the existence of 'collective gardens' where up to 10 qualified patients can grow medical marijuana. Each person in limited to 15 plants per garden and no community can have more than 45 plants and 72 ounces of dried product.

In response to the new laws, the Seattle Police Department released an updated directive on marijuana to guide police officers.

"Many jurisdictions in the State have differing views on marijuana in general, and medical marijuana specifically. The voters of Seattle approved an initiative that makes the enforcement of marijuana in small amounts for personal adult use the lowest enforcement priority in the City limits. State law continues to ban non-medical marijuana, and controls the way that medical marijuana can be grown or provided," states Chief of Police, John Diaz, in his introduction to the updated directive.

"These competing and inconsistent laws along with varying interpretations by elected officials and prosecutors combined with the different expectations of the public, puts the police officer on the street in a very difficult position when dealing with marijuana."

The directive guides the officers through enforcement procedures and preliminary investigations, and revisions to the narcotics laws.

The directive is available to the public, here.