In another chapter of "Washington State Screws with Medical Marijuana Patients," Seattle Mayor Ed Murray has announced he wants to shut down half of the city's Medical Marijuana (MMJ) dispensaries. As reported on thesmokingbud.com, all cannabis businesses must now purchase a special new business license, and favor will be given to those MMJ dispensaries that opened prior to January 1, 2013.

Officials say that 54 of the 99 Seattle-based MMJ dispensaries opened after that date, and thus have been operating illegally. Furthermore, all marijuana dispensaries must obtain the new license by July 2016.

Many patients believe this is simply a way to move people away from access to lower-priced medical marijuana, and into the arms of higher taxed—and thus higher priced world—of recreational dispensaries.

Anyone in Salem watching this? Anyone? Burdick? Burdick?