Supporters of legalizing marijuana for recreational use in the state of Washington have submitted enough signatures to put the issue on the ballot, which means that the state of Washington could have a showdown coming with Washington, D.C., if the measure were to pass.
However, California tried to pass a similar measure in 2010. That measure, Proposition 19, was defeated at the ballot by a vote of 53.5 percent to 46.5 percent.
The measure will come to a vote this fall. David Ammons, a spokesman for the Washington Secretary of State’s office, said in a statement that the group New Approach Washington submitted almost 278,000 valid signatures for the measure. That was more than required to put it on the November ballot.
The proposal, if approved by voters, would allow marijuana sales to people 21 and older and permit state taxes to be collected on the drug. It would, however, prohibit both marijuana advertising and driving under the influence of cannabis. It is unclear how they will come to a "legal limit" for marijuana that is detected in a person's bloodstream.
Supporters of the legalization of marijuana say the federal ban on the drug has not dissuaded users and that it instead enriches drug cartels. Among the more notable supporters of the measure is acting Seattle city attorney Peter Holmes, who said, “This is the grown-up approach to regulating a relatively harmless drug."
However, those opposed to the legalization of the drug say that even when legalized, there will continue to be cartels and underground sales. Calvina Fay, head of the Florida-based Drug Free America Foundation said, “There will always be a black market. That’s been proven with cigarettes with the tobacco industry. Even though tobacco is legal and it’s regulated, there’s still a huge global black market.”
It's possible that the drug could be legalized even without a vote. Washington state law holds that now that the initiative has received enough signatures to be put on the ballot, it now goes to the Washington State Legislature. That body has the option of avoiding a popular vote by instead enacting the proposal to legalize marijuana. It is also possible that lawmakers could propose their own initiative, and allow both to go to the voters.
New Approach Washington said they do not expect the legislature to enact the proposal on its own, but instead let voters decide. Washington is already one of 16 states, including California that, along with Washington, D.C., have decriminalized medical marijuana.
However, federal authorities have raided medical marijuana dispensaries in several states, including Washington, in recent months, as those laws are contrary to federal law. Thus, legalization of marijuana in the state of Washington --- or any other state, for that matter --- wouldn't mean that federal authorities couldn't crack down on users, if they chose to do so.
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#1 Washington State Initiative Measure No. 502 (I-502)
Washington State Initiative Measure No. 502 (I-502) would license and regulate marijuana production, distribution, and possession for persons over twenty-one; remove state-law criminal and civil penalties for activities that it authorizes; tax marijuana sales; and earmark marijuana-related revenues.
This measure would remove state-law prohibitions against producing, processing, and selling marijuana, subject to licensing and regulation by the liquor control board; allow limited possession of marijuana by persons aged twenty-one and over; and impose 25% excise taxes on wholesale and retail sales of marijuana, earmarking revenue for purposes that include substance-abuse prevention, research, education, and healthcare. Laws prohibiting driving under the influence would be amended to include maximum thresholds for THC blood concentration.
New Approach Washington is a coalition of Washington citizens who believe that treating marijuana use as a crime has failed, and that it is time for a new approach. We include doctors, lawyers, treatment and prevention experts, business people, and parents. We are united in the belief that Washington should stop wasting law enforcement resources on adults who use marijuana, and instead create a tightly regulated system that generates tax revenue for our state and local governments.
#2 Freedom
I'm very happy to see that Washington state is going to lead the nation in legalization & regulation of this beautiful plant. Hemp is a wondrous fiber that's needs are not yet recognized. The flowers of the female plant have many medicinal properties & the fiber is the strongest in the plant kingdom. Bravo Washington! Let's show the nation we can do this right.