My travels have been in-state lately — bringing a European sensibility toward drug policy to my neighbors.
I’ve just returned from my ten-cities-in-seven-days, state-wide road trip. From the East to the West, conservative and liberal Washingtonians are learning that I-502 — which will legalize, regulate, and tax marijuana for adult use — is not pro-pot. It is anti-Prohibition, pro-public safety, creates a better situation for children, actually makes our roads safer, and undercuts a vast black market industry — all while raising some serious money for our state.
I care about this for lots of good citizenship reasons. Watch this video to see highlights of my talk in Spokane last week at the Bing Crosby Theater. (B-B-B-Bing, by the way, enjoyed the responsible adult use of marijuana quite famously.) This is an important issue. It’s on track to win in our state, and I’d love a chance to explain to you the case for I-502.
Please watch the video and check out my editorial. And, one way or another…please vote! Thanks.
If you can’t see the video below, watch it on YouTube.
I always appreciate a balanced approach to key issues. Anybody who is totally on one side of an issue is someone to take with a grain of salt. There are reasons to believe what many people do, that mj is relatively harmless, or at least no more harmful than cigarettes and alcohol. And that legalizing it will help people cope with nausea associated with chemo. And that legalizing it will take a cut out of Mexican cartels’ profits and maybe cut down on that portion of drug running. But I would like to know more about MJ’s addictiveness, it’s impact on chromosomes in unborn children, it’s tendency, if any, to cause its users to inhale nicotine and tars even more deeply. In the U.S. we hear black or white, right or wrong. But the real world is gray and it’s nuanced.
Keep us posted if this passes on how it takes effect in the state of Washington.
Even if this provision passes, federal law supersedes local law on this matter, and the legal mess will stay the same as dealers can, as they have been, cracked down by FBI regardless of them being legal at state level.
I, like the comments from bill, have some questions. It’s the details that raise those questions and I will let the citizens of Washington sort out those issues. As for the US War on Drugs, that is a lost cause. The money spent on this war like some others, hasn’t produced the desired results. Hopefully Congress can work together to rework drug policy in the US toward a less rigid approach of enforcement. The police time and prison cost spent on these offences is a waste while there are much more pressing issues that need our taxpayers money. Fortunately things will change it just takes time.
Steve, unfortunately it won’t stay “an adult recreational drug” – kids will be have much easier access to it – checking id in stores won’t prevent kids from getting access to it….and when you have an alcoholic pot user for a parent your odds are pretty good that you’ll use. Great idea Washington and Colorado. Oh I know, we’ll just hire some more social workers to deal with it, hire some more drug counselors to deal with it = all of this with the trillion dollars we already don’t have
Get high on LIFE – there is a lot out there to appreciate without being medicated
I’m in total agreement with Nancy. And Rick – if you had lost your only child to drug use, as I have, you may think twice about the legalization of pot. It was most definitely a gateway drug for my son and for him it was the beginning of the end.
And for all those touting pot for cancer patients, well, I can relate to that scenario too. I’m battling cancer and I would never use pot as a panacea for all my issues. As Nancy said I get high on life and the thing that has been my lifesaver through illness and sorrow – the gym! Maybe if the potheads in America did more working out and less contemplating of their navels the legalization of marijuana wouldn’t even be an issue!
Yup, that shloud defo do the trick!