420 Policies and Laws

[Crow]

State's pot era lights up to smoke, dreams, uncertainty

Giddy, smoke-filled celebrations started Thursday as Washington state's new pot law — among the most liberal in the world — took effect. At the same time, investors plotted their next move in the new marijuana market.

By Jonathan Martin, Seattle Times


Nicola Thompson lights her pipe as she and Toby Tackett, right, and Scott Newsome celebrate Washington's legalization of marijuana at a gathering at Seattle Center's International Fountain on Thursday, the day the state law took effect.


John Sanders, chairman of Edmonds Community College's music department, holds up an ounce of pot.


Jamen Shively is reflected in a sealed, commemorative glass holding "Diego Reserva," high-end marijuana he plans to market after the state works out legal details.

Maybe even a little before 12:01 a.m. Thursday, Washingtonians started celebrating — on sidewalks, in parks, outside bars and on their own comfy couches — a new marijuana law that is among the most liberal in the world.

The festivities culminated with a big, hazy party Thursday night at Seattle Center, 79 years and a day after the 21st Amendment, repealing alcohol prohibition, was ratified.

Unlike that repeal, Washington's new law starts with a messy conflict with the federal ban on marijuana, sure to grow messier once the state begins licensing marijuana grow farms and retail stores next year.

Until then, this will be "the year of the magical ounce," as one activist called it. Adults 21 and over can have that much for recreational use, but until the marijuana stores open, there's nowhere to legally buy it. Nor is there any legal place to use it, except behind closed doors.

Late Thursday, a peaceful, happy crowd of about 200 people marked the historic moment at Seattle Center's International Fountain. Ambers glowed, and clouds of Dutch Treat, Pez and WMD and other marijuana strains wisped into the night.

Before the law took effect, Gov. Chris Gregoire had a second conversation with the Department of Justice about the potential federal response. The department has given no indication whether it plans to sue to block Washington's law, or a similar measure in Colorado that takes effect within a month. Gregoire got no more clarity this week, said spokesman Cory Curtis.

Locally, Seattle police announced they would not write tickets for public use of marijuana, which is now equivalent to public drinking. Police will "give you a generous grace period to help you adjust to this brave, new, and maybe kinda stoned world we live in," according to a post on the department's blog.

Other police also appeared to take a laissez-faire approach. "The people have spoken in a very clear way," said Mercer Island Police Chief Ed Holmes, who is also president of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, which opposed the legalization measure.

"It's not about our personal individual law or set of convictions or beliefs," he said. "We've sworn to uphold the law of the state, and the law has changed."

Continued...

[Crow]

Cannabis Is Now Legal In Washington State

by Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director

History was made in Washington on Election night when 55 percent of voters decided in favor of Initiative 502. And at 12am this morning, history was made once again.

Today, for the first time in 89 years (Washington lawmakers initially outlawed cannabis in 1923, 14 years ahead of the enactment of federal prohibition.), an adult may possess up to one ounce cannabis (and/or up to 16 ounces of marijuana-infused product in solid form, and 72 ounces of marijuana-infused product in liquid form) for their own personal use in private — and they may do so without being in violation of state law.

To be clear: This is not decriminalization — a policy change that amends criminal penalties for minor marijuana offenses, but that continues to define cannabis as illegal contraband under the law and subjects its consumers to civil penalties. Today in Washington, cannabis — when possessed in private by an adult in specific quantities — is a legal commodity. (By contrast, public consumption of cannabis is a civil violation. Existing penalties regarding home cultivation for non-patients remain unchanged. Rules regarding the regulated sale of cannabis to adults are to be codified later next year.)

Nevertheless, the immediate statutory changes effective today provide unprecedented legal protections for adult cannabis consumers. Rather than presuming cannabis to be illicit, and that those who possess it are engaged in illegal activity, the enactment of I-502 mandates law enforcement and prosecutors to presume that cannabis is in fact legal, and that those who possess it in personal use quantities are engaged in legal activity, unless the state can show that there are extenuating circumstances proving otherwise. Moreover, since up to one ounce of cannabis will no longer be classified as an illicit commodity under state law, police will have no legal authority to seize it from lawful adults. Finally, police will arguably no longer be permitted to legally engage in ‘fishing expeditions’ when they encounter cannabis in ‘plain view’ –- such as in someone’s home or in their car. Since marijuana is no longer defined as contraband, state police will no longer have sufficient cause to engage in a further search of the area because, legally, no criminal activity has taken place.

Yes indeed, the dominoes are falling and more will fall imminently. (Colorado’s legalization measure will take effect in early January.) And there is very little that the federal government — which on the eve of legalization said only that it is ‘reviewing’ the new law — can do to stop it. States are not mandated to criminalize marijuana or arrest adult cannabis consumers and the Federal government cannot compel prosecutors in Colorado or Washington to do otherwise.

Like alcohol prohibition before it, the criminalization of cannabis is a failed federal policy that delegates the burden of enforcement to the state and local police. How did America’s ‘Nobel Experiment’ with alcohol prohibition come to an end? When a sufficient number of states enacted legislation repealing the state’s alcohol laws prohibition effectively discontinued. With state police and prosecutors no longer enforcing the Federal government’s unpopular law, politicians eventually had no choice but to abandon the policy altogether.

History now repeats itself.

Source

[Bigblue1]

"It's moved beyond the incidental conversation to people actually encouraging others to use illegal drugs to an official, moderator suggested thread in which people are reviewing and suggesting particular varieties/brands."
- Disgruntled Member

What's that about?

[Bigblue1]

I mean seriously. It is quite obvious that a majority of people are for decriminalization if not full legality. People are sick of funding a drug war that does nothing but increase profits for criminals and fill prisons with non violent offenders on the tax payer, your, dime. How can anybody not see the congruencies between marijuana prohibition today and alcohol prohibition in the 20's. I'll take it a step further. Why is it you can get extremely potent opiates with a prescription but if you get caught with heroine your a criminal. Or how crack will let get you a ton of time but it's base material cocaine you don't get the same sentence. News flashe it only takes some good coke a spoon, heat and some baking soda to make your own, Rush Limbaugh anyone? That man was taking enough oxy to kill an elephant and got caught doing it whilst illegally procuring it, never did a minute of time tho. We are living in a effed up world my friends...... What's good for the goose is definitely not good for the gander.

[Bigblue1]

Oh and F#ck anybody who can't come out in the light of day and pronounce their displeasure with this thread. Coward!

[Crow]

"It's moved beyond the incidental conversation to people actually encouraging others to use illegal drugs to an official, moderator suggested thread in which people are reviewing and suggesting particular varieties/brands."
- Disgruntled Member

What's that about?

A quote from long ago...

[Bigblue1]

A quote from long ago...

W

Well didn't mean to accuse anybody of being a coward if they actually posted there discontent on the board and not thru some sneaky moderator PM. I still disagree with it. And I'd say even more people are coming around by the day. And this place is getting to be too quiet. Figured i might be able to rouse some feathers and make it more interesting for a minute.

[Crow]

I'm surprised CzechCzar hasn't mentioned this..........

Czech Parliament Lower House Approves Medical Marijuana



The lower house of the Czech Republic parliament has approved legislation to make use of marijuana for medical purposes legal in that country.

While the bill still needs the approval by parliament's upper house, it is noted that the marijuana would be imported and later grown by registered firms licensed for such activity, which is currently illegal in Czech Republic.

Pavel Bern, one of a group of deputies who created the bill, told Reuters, "The point of the proposal is to make medical marijuana accessible to patients that need it and that already use it today, even when it is against the law."

Patients will require a prescription from a medical doctor in order to get the drug at pharmacies. However, the treatment will not be covered by health insurance, and patients will not be allowed to grow marijuana at home.

People in Czech Republic are reportedly allowed to possess and consume small amounts of marijuana, with possession of less than 15 grammes of marijuana being currently legal.

[Crow]

Gay marriage, legal pot: Conservatives wonder what's happening to this state

Bombarded with seemingly endless, breathless news coverage of same-sex couples getting married and respectable people lighting joints in public, some people who voted no on these measures say they consider themselves to be missionaries in a heathen world.

By Carol M. Ostrom, Seattle Times

In the wake of Washington's historic votes to legalize both same-sex marriage and marijuana use, some longtime conservatives say they're contemplating moving to more like-minded states — say, Texas.

Bombarded with seemingly endless, breathless news coverage of same-sex couples getting married and respectable people lighting joints in public, some "no" voters say they consider themselves missionaries in a heathen world. Sometimes that's a tongue-in-cheek crack — other times, not so much.

"I feel like I'm living in pagan Rome," said Dan Kennedy, CEO of Human Life of Washington, who has worked on conservative issues here since 2000. "I just couldn't believe we had gone that far."

It wasn't as if the votes were a total surprise. State Republican Party Chairman Kirby Wilbur noted Washington voters' previous approval of abortion and physician-assisted aid in dying.

Continued...

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This excerpt really gets me... It's left me with a permanent grin!

Wilbur, the GOP party chairman — who describes himself as a "devout Lutheran" — says he believes that voters who said yes to same-sex marriage and pot don't necessarily support those things. "I think people are saying, 'It's none of the government's business,' " he said. "I think there's a strong libertarian streak out there."

As a political leader, he isn't inclined to move to another state, he said.

"I'm not going to give up my home state quite so easily, and no reason why I should. There's hope out there! There's people I've got to convince they're wrong."

Besides, Wilbur quipped, "Our hope is people smoke enough pot, they'll forget to vote, and then we'll win.

I almost want to make that my new quote!

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This one too:

His daughter, Lisa, a 21-year-old senior at Seattle University, has had the same uncomfortable experience.

She thought that by going to a Catholic school, she said, she'd be surrounded by like-minded conservatives.

That's not how it went.

Now, she's compiling notes for a book she's tentatively titled, "A Conservative Fish in Liberal Sea(ttle)."

"It's hard to always be around people who disagree with me," says Lisa Kennedy. "Abortion, gay marriage — I either have to hold my tongue around them or start an argument."

[Bigblue1]

I really like the way Seattle/Washington state is going but have a feeling it's going to go badly. The Feds are going to step in. You can't have this beacon of Democracy shining while most of us can only hear of it. They are going to shut this shit down I believe. Have fun with it while you can......

[Crow]

I really like the way Seattle/Washington state is going but have a feeling it's going to go badly. The Feds are going to step in. You can't have this beacon of Democracy shining while most of us can only hear of it. They are going to shut this shit down I believe. Have fun with it while you can......

Geeze, you're more pessimistic than Snusdog!

Who knows how it will go down..... So far, the adminstration has been silent. But I will say this (as a Democrat):

If they proceed with a court challenge, it will be long and drawn out. Not only that, it will damage the party if the administration decides to block the will of the People. Both the states of Washington and Colorado helped to secure re-election, and to go against the base would be a costly mistake.

Exert force and risk losing the party amongst independents and liberals in future election cycles, or allow the Democratic states to proceed with sensible regulation.

The latter should be the obvious choice. Time will tell...........

[lxskllr]

Geeze, you're more pessimistic than Snusdog!

Who knows how it will go down..... So far, the adminstration has been silent. But I will say this (as a Democrat):

If they proceed with a court challenge, it will be long and drawn out. Not only that, it will damage the party if the administration decides to block the will of the People. Both the states of Washington and Colorado helped to secure re-election, and to go against the base would be a costly mistake.

Exert force and risk losing the party amongst independents and liberals in future election cycles, or allow the Democratic states to proceed with sensible regulation.

The latter should be the obvious choice. Time will tell...........

It didn't go well the last time...

[Crow]

Comparing cannabis to slavery? That's a bit of a stretch.

[lxskllr]

Comparing cannabis to slavery? That's a bit of a stretch.

It's a direct comparison to states rights, and the federal encroachment thereof ;^)

[Crow]

It's a direct comparison to states rights, and the federal encroachment thereof ;^)

Yeah, well, if you're going to angle it that way...

But such encroachment was justified. That's indisputable.

This is a completely different scenario.

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Also, look at what we already have... 18 medical cannabis states + the nation's capitol. Where's the encroachment? It would've began a long time ago (between 1996-1998).