Legalization bill dies in Washington state

Drug War Chronicle

The bill had the support of the entire Seattle legislative delegation, as well as the Seattle Times editorial board. But that wasn’t enough to move it out of committee.

The legislature’s failure to act clears the way for an effort to take the issue directly to the voters. Sensible Washington is already gathering signatures for a legalization initiative to go before the voters in November.

Let’s hope that they can get the signatures collected. Here’s the Sensible Washington site.

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12 Responses to Legalization bill dies in Washington state

  1. This is not my America says:

    This doent suprise me one bit. until TSHTF…nothing will change in this country.

    Wanna talk draconian laws, read this if you havent seen it already. Any of you regular heavy weights wanna comment??

    http://www.alternet.org/story/150488/man_could_face_life_in_prison_for_3_grams_of_marijuana%2C_while_sex_offenders_may_get_5_years_tops/comments/

  2. denmark says:

    We’re going to make the signature numbers requirement. My signature was the last on a full-page with more copies to be signed underneath. I was told about a gal in Spokane who stood at the court house and got judges and lawyers alike signing.
    The next question is: will the excited crowd follow through? Will we get meaningful encouragement and inspiration from the entire “movement”?

  3. Ben Mann says:

    The real question is, will the presidential nominees state that their Justice Department will allow the states to experiment with such laws without federal interference? If that make that statement, these ballot measures will pass overwhelmingly. If not, it’ll be a difficult struggle.

  4. DdC says:

    House Kills Industrial Hemp Bill
    Hopes that Illinois farmers could grow industrial hemp went up in smoke Thursday in the Illinois House.

    Montana Senate Endorses Repeal of Medical Marijuana Law
    The Senate voted 29-21 on Thursday to repeal Montana’s medical marijuana law after an emotionally charged debate marked by angry political finger-pointing by senators from both sides.

    Maine Marijuana Decriminalization Bills Die

    • DdC says:

      US Attorney Warns Landlords Against Pot Shops

      The U.S. attorney for Eastern Washington has warned landlords that they could face forfeiture of their properties if they rent to medical marijuana shops.

      U.S. Attorney Michael C. Ormsby also said in a statement Wednesday that his office is preparing for quick and direct action against the operators of the stores, noting that federal law prohibits marijuana use and marijuana stores are subject to enforcement action.

      Spokane Pot Shops on Federal Notice

      Medical marijuana dispensaries in Spokane face federal prosecution if they do not end their operations immediately, the U.S. attorney’s office announced Wednesday.

      Federal authorities hope for voluntary compliance but are prepared “for quick and direct action against the operators of the stores,” according to a statement by Mike Ormsby, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.

  5. Duncan20903 says:

    .
    .
    Washingtonians certainly have been burdened with gathering an outrageously large number of signatures to get an initiative on the ballot. California required about 450,000 signatures of people verified as registered to vote with a population just over 36 million. With just under 6 million residents in Washington the petitioners need to present ~250,000.

    I do hope they surprise me and get it voted in but I just don’t believe that practically unfettered re-legalization is going to happen. The Know Nothings are already in process of attacking the proposed age floor of 18. Unfortunately on this point they can make an excellent argument using historical precedent to demonstrate that 18 year old people are still very much connected to those under age 18.

    http://sandiegoblog.com/archives/2007/04/30/medical-marijuana-lights-up-san-diego-schools/

    http://buymyiou.com/money/medical-marijuana-in-california-high-school/ (What is on that guy’s head in the second video?)

  6. vicky vampire says:

    Yes how can anything change even in Washington state when the status quo is challenged and hardly ever changed,it the same bull cocky been reading and watching all sorts of weird crap around net,

    Yeah sorry I forgot who posted this but someone said what would television do with out drug war so many stories on cop TV involve arresting or chasing someone over drugs.Yup tha’ts true I guess there story lines would dry up.holy crap pitiful.

    Then I’m reading over at towleroad a gay blog that Republicans in there that some religious preacher lady says gays in military are responsible for recent Earthquake and tsunami,yeah she probably thinks all the potheads are demon possessed this kind of mentality and folks who listen to it is why pot is not legal yet good grief how crazy
    http://www.towleroad.com/2011/04/jacobsdisaster.html

    Then last night Night line does a story on Anti-Energy Drinks and over reacts and calls them liguid relaxation but no they did not stop there they said could they be liguid Marijuana in a can Please Idiots its just Valerian Root, Melatonin and other assorted mild herbs vitamins but of course an expect says they have not been tested what yeah maybe a young child should not jug a whole bunch but it no different from a whole bunch of the same herbs and melotonin I take also plus other assorted Vitamins and strong Natural Bio-Identical Hormones but these experts will probably be calling the FDA AND WANTING theses off the market soon you know its coming cause everything is fucking danger now we are not allowed to do anything Christ I feel like we are living in old Soviet State pretty market striped of everything its all a danger people FUCK ME.

    http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/

  7. paul says:

    Wait a minute–how could the bill fail to get out of committee when everyone supports it? Obviously someone didn’t support it, and they were able to block it. Who did it? What happened?

    Obviously, if everyone in the legislature is at least theoretically in support of legalizing MJ, it is going to get legalized. It’s just a matter of time.

    Duncan, the argument about 18 year olds still being connected to under 18s is ridiculous. Anywhere you set the age, those people on the edge will be connected to people a few years younger than them. 21 year olds are still connected to 20 year olds, and they’ll buy the drug for their friends. The horror.

  8. divadab says:

    I-1149, the Washington State initiative sponsored by Sensible Wahsington, ends cannabis prohibition the same way several States (including Montana and New York) ended alcohol prohibition in the twenties, years before it was repealed federally: by removing penalties for cannabis “crimes”, essentially keeping it a “crime” but without penalty. This approach avoids federal preemption, in the same way Montanans and New Yorkers could drink alcohol in 1928, five years before prohibition was repealed federally.

    Smart, and effective.

  9. Windy says:

    You tell ’em, divadab! I agree.

    I-1149 doesn’t do anything to help medical cannabis dispensaries (tho there is still a bill in the legislature relating to that, I don’t believe it’s been killed, yet), and there is still the threat of the federal government’s DEA going after dispensaries, even those operating legally by State law. But the initiative will remove ALL penalties for growing, buying, selling, possession and using for anyone 18 or older.

  10. Windy says:

    By the way, this just occurred in WA:
    http://www.justice.gov/usao/wae/news/2011/2011_04_06_Marijuana_Enforcement.html
    The WA legislature can and should pass the dispensary bill and tell the federal government to fuck off and die. When 2/3 of the States do that, the federal government (congress) will have no choice but to end prohibition of all drugs (it took an act of congress to create this prohibition and it will take another act of congress to end it at the federal level).

    • denmark says:

      Saw that this morning and it did indeed ruin the morning for me. Just love this line near the bottom: There are two targets to our enforcement action; the operators of the stores and the owners of the real property where the stores operate.
      Sad thought, maybe we are being targeted for future round-up. Going to my collective tomorrow, when I called today they sounded busy and there was lots of talking going on in the background.

      It is the law makers fault, period.
      Patients, dispensary operators, medicine providers are innocent.

      The rough edges of the medical marijuana community and dispensing of medicine just need to be smoothed out.
      …….
      BTW. I do support full Legalization of cannabis and the end of Prohibition.

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