Julie_CGC_01122012Julie Istvan has been quietly operation Green Cross Collective Garden in an upstairs apartment on Front Street and if it were not for the public hearings at City Hall, most passerby’s would never know there was an access point for medical marijuana right in downtown Leavenworth.

According to Julie, she serves patients with a wide variety of medical conditions including chron’s disease, HIV, cancer, chronic pain, sleep disorders, and arthritis and the medicine she provides comes without the harsh side effects of alternative medications which are limited for the most part to narcotics that wreak havoc on a patient’s organs.

She says she provides patients, with a Dr’s recommendation, a safe place to get their medicine and that all of the medicine she offers is organic and free of the unknown chemicals that may be sprayed on medical marijuana purchased on the black market.  She also offers a variety of different methods of ingesting the medicine, from tinctures to oils and lotions.

Interestingly, the City Council does not dispute the efficacy or need for medical marijuana for these patients but they did institute a moratorium a month ago in order to wade through the conflicting state and federal laws on the issue and gather public comment.  The second City Council meeting concerning the moratorium occurred on July 10th and we interviewed Julie before and after the meeting to get her take on the current situation.

Medical Marijuana Moratorium in Leavenworh: An Interview with Julie Istvan from Icicle TV on Vimeo.