Wash. activists file initiative to legalize marijuana
Related News
- 07/07/10 — Healthcare, Casino Gambling Petitions Come up short
- 03/24/10 — Health care amendment flatlines
- 03/22/10 — Missouri Senate to consider challenge to federal health care mandate
- 03/12/10 — Initiatives push to get marijuana, liquor on ballots
- 03/08/10 — Health-reform foe plans fight
- More Health Care news
Associated Press: Five activists filed a ballot initiative Monday that would legalize all adult marijuana possession, manufacturing and sales under Washington state law - one of the most sweeping efforts at marijuana reform playing out around the country this year. Its sponsors include two Seattle lawyers and the director of Seattle's annual Hempfest.
They call themselves Sensible Washington, and say that in a time of dire budget woes, the state's government should stop spending money on police, court and jail costs for people who use or produce marijuana. Douglas Hiatt, a lawyer who represents medical marijuana patients, told The Associated Press the proposal would remove all state criminal penalties for adults who possess, grow and distribute pot - no matter how much. Criminal penalties for juveniles who possess marijuana and for those who provide the drug to juveniles would remain in place. Driving under the influence of the drug also would still be against the law. And marijuana would remain illegal under federal law.
"It basically tells the federal government, 'Hey it's your prohibition - if you want it, you pay for it,'" Hiatt said. "We're tired of screwing around and wasting all this dough."
Volunteers are lining up to collect the more than 241,000 signatures required to place the initiative on the November ballot, Hiatt said.
To read more, click here.
Comments
There are no comments for this entry.
