Wash. could become first state to OK pot sales
SEATTLE (AP) — Washington state is on the verge of becoming the first in the nation to let adults over 21 buy taxed, inspected marijuana at state-licensed shops.
Supporters of Initiative 502 say allowing recreational pot sales could make drug laws a little more reasonable, prevent thousands of arrests a year, and bring Washington hundreds of millions of dollars to help pay for schools, health care and basic government services.
Voters in Colorado and Oregon are considering similar measures. Based on polls, the support it has from former federal law enforcement officers, and the $4.1 million its campaign has raised, I-502 might stand the best chance of passing.
Opponents include medical marijuana patients who believe I-502's marijuana driving-under-the-influence is too arbitrary and strict, and from some police officials who worry about increasing the availability of pot, especially for teens.
Johnson can be reached at https://twitter.com/GeneAPseattle
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
Well, at least we will have another way to make clothing articles lol. I hear that hemp is great for building materials as well. Great for Cheaper housing ..it would be cheaper the wood but just as tough...Also hemp ropes are strong and sturdy. I don't smoke the stuff, but I am also no moron, legalizing it to grow could have a good thing for the economy.but if all you think about that hemp is good is getting high, then one is not well educated on the matter.
One needs to see both good and bad and make a level headed decision.
so does that mean every incarcerated for selling pot could be released?
they for got to mention "HEMP" the natural stuff not the Stuff that a hs been "Laced" or "Altered"
how stupid can they get. its a proven fact with the medical card evry tom dick and harry gets the stuff from the card holder so much for control. lawyers be readyÂ
With all the losers who came to Washington in the last twenty years from California and Portland, it just may pass. Â It will be a hoot listening to these deadbeats after they get busted for being under the influence or fired from their jobs because they think they will be able to be high anywhere and anytime. Â Typical mentality of a pothead.
Build the stupid bridge, put in tolls, all that extra bridge traffic will pay for it no time.
Oh sure... All it will take is a big fat bribe and philip moris, merc or some other large corporation will corner the market making it illegal for the people to produce thier own... IE... Is it legal to grow your own tobacco? NO
 @!!!Â
Â
Â
Sadly, it would likely happen with Congressional support; you know those Southern GOP candidates need something to stay afloat.
Â
That is why every Marijuana bill MUST include an allowance for home grown Marijuana. Otherwise, it will just be a corporate thing and every party with a little pot smoke will turn into a police raid looking for "moonshine" grow farms.
I don't smoke pot, but I bet I could drive over to Vancouver and find some to buy in short order. Â Only think legalizing it will do is free up the police to work on other crimes. Â At the end of the day I don't care one way or the other.
 @SiwashÂ
Â
Really...you would have to go all the way to Vancouver?Â
People have been using this for decades, and for decades we have spent billions of dollars and countless hours of law enforcement and court time with zero results.
 @Rob C 503 Our privatized prison system wants to keep it illegal. Not only is it a big revenue generator, but the manpower involved in handling potheads is less because they are easier to handle than alcoholics. Potheads stay locked up while alcoholics go free to reoffend after the inebriation wears off. "Too much to drink there fella? You can sleep it off in the lockup"
End prohibition and legalize it !!!!!!!!! THe whole US needs to do this.
 @LostSoulÂ
Â
Write the Constitutional Amendment and I'll sign.
I see a whole lot of profiled traffic stops and searches just south of the border.  Seems like something worth waiting till the country can convince the federal government because this is going to cause way more problems than good. No one has died from smoking pot yet.  That is a fact you can look up.  Same can't be said about any other drug, tobacco or alcohol.Â
"police officials who worry about increasing the availability of pot, especially for teens" give ANY teen $20 and 10 min and they can get you some weed right now today.
 @iamright555Â
Â
give ANY teen $20 and 10 min and they can get you some weed right now today.
Â
Without driving a car....and like Dominoes; "in 30 minutes or less" they'll deliver.
Legalizing pot? What's next, same-sex marriages? Way to go, Washington State, in leading the USA down the road to being an anything goes joke to the rest of the world. What a dismal future ahead!
@jpk Because pot and being gay are the two worst things in the world, right? Makes total sense...not. Welcome to the 21st century.
This comment has been deleted
@James Gnau Freedom comes with responsibilities. Belching, burping and vomiting about "rights" everytime you choose to identify something as a personal affront is not freedom, it is anarchy. And anarchy, my friend, is not something you would enjoy, because "anything goes".
 @!!!  @jpkÂ
Â
Hey guys.....I think he's being funny; go with it.Â
Â
And, besides I like to bletch and fart; "better in than out" I always say and if that's anarchy then sign me, and honey boo boo, up because a liberty isn't a liberty if it's all tied up and locked away.
Â
"All animals are equal but some are more equal than others"Â Animal Farm
Â
Why is it that when people shoot one another the cops investigate immediately but when cops shoot people they wait 48 hours? See above rule.
@jpk Weed (no pun intended) be better off if you went to china bootlicker.
Yeah! Go Washington go!
 @FronkÂ
Â
Yeah, the people are tired of paying too much tax for their booze and they're sure that they'll get this one right. Nobody's going to hoodwink them on the whole pot issue like they did with the booze deregulation.
If the availability of age restricted but otherwise legal products is such a concern for police officials, why are they not fighting harder to outlaw Alcohol, Porn and Cigarettes? The answer is that it is just a bunch of hooey. On the other hand, I-502's marijuana driving-under-the-influence provisions may or may not be arbitray or strict. The idea of measuring impairment for pot is a fairly new and under researched area. I would expect the amounts to change going forward as this becomes more open. Regardless, if you are high or drunk, dont drive. The life you save may be my own.Â
Â
Just to set the record straight, I am 420-friendly.
Â
Â
One thing I heard yesterday was that the high quality stuff grown here in the NW sells for almost twice the value on the east coast. So there will most likely be an increase of illegal transportation across the USA if this measure passes.
Â
I lean towards making it legal, but also realize that there will be some ramifications if just a few states make it legal. Probably the biggest is that the fed will withhold money to a state.
@Dirtman  I agree with you. I only hope that the Fed stops trying to force its will on the States. States should be free to enforce laws regarding immigration as well as marijuana.
A state full of pot addicts.
@sortbait Drugs make you stupid. We already have enough stupid people.
@The Resistance  I would put my IQ test results up against yours any day and twice on Sunday and I occasionally indulge.Â
Â
Stupid people have closed minds. Dont be a stupid person.
@ sortbait If you truely are worried and need to make a positive difference, go after the alcoholics many of whom are drunk drivers.
@sortbait  I support legalizing pot and while I am not addict, I do occasionally partake of some righteous herb.