Seattle Times endorsing marijuana legalization bill

[Tripper11]

Source: KING 5 News

SEATTLE – The Seattle Times is endorsing a bill in the Washington state Legislature to legalize marijuana, in an editorial to be published this Sunday.

The paper is coming out in favor of House Bill 1550, which would make it legal to sell pot in liquor stores.

The editorial comes just days after Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes said he has stopped prosecuting user-level possession cases.

Legalizing pot would be at odds with federal law and it goes against what most in law enforcement believe -- that pot is a dangerous drug. But the Times editorial board says legalization is really a pro-law enforcement move.



Read more: http://www.king5.com/news/politics/Seattle-Times-endorsing-marijuana-legalization-bill-116518443.html

[Buzz Clik]

1. In his first term, Obama did his very best to undermine the medical use of marijuana in Washington

Through the Attorney General and other avenues, he decided to put legal pressure on the doctors who provided the prescriptions, as if they were dope dealers.

Wait. Wait a second. That was George Bush 43. Obama didn't do that or anything similar. Well, I guess because Obama and Bush are exactly the same, Obama will be doing that soon.

So, in the mean time, let's support Washington and the Seattle Times in their efforts to legalize marijuana before you-know-who shuts them down.

[bluedigger]

2. "what most in law enforcement believe"

should read "what most in law enforcement are paid to believe"

[AlbertCat]

5. "what most in law enforcement are paid to believe"...

...when they're not smoking what's in the Evidence Room.

[Kolesar]

3. Pot laws are a way to harass people that authorities want to dispose of

Profile them, harass them, run them out of town or arrest them.

[CanSocDem]

4. Good for WA.

That oughta drive down the price of BCBUD. Sorry if this sounds selfish....
:hippie:

.

[martymar64]

14. If it's legal then it can be locally grown instead of imported

BC Bud, meet Bellingham Bud!

:hippie:

[midnight]

6. K&R And stop this myth that pot is a dangerous drug...

[defendandprotect]

7. Drug War is a frace to control marijuana/hemp -- to control American public and other nations!!

It has corrupted -- as intended -- our government and government officials!

[duhneece]

8. Always glad to see better, more just, common-sense policies suggested

It's good more people and organizations are speaking out.

[JonLP24]

9. Odd that Washington

has stricter liquor laws than Arizona, yet in Arizona, it is a felony just to have a cannabis seed.(First offense for any amount under an ounce can be pleaded down to class 1 misdemeanor)

Anyways, K&R.

[frebrd]

10. Sort of surprising coming from the Times.....

Seems to me they usually spout the right-wing party line.

In this instance, though, good on 'em!

[BallardWA]

11. If I remember correctly, this was killed in Olympia once before...

Some state senator calling on his conscience or some such...

[eridani]

12. This is exactly why I have always favored state liquor stores

I knew it would be a good model for regulating pot.

[jmowreader]

13. They keep trying to privatize the state liquor stores in WA

In the 2010 campaign season, the backers of I-1100 and I-1107 (the two competing liquor privatization initiatives) claimed the state should get out of the liquor business to "save money." Of course, one has to ask yourself: if you lose money in the liquor business, as the proponents of the two initiatives wanted you to believe, why the FUCK does private industry want to take over the business? Could it possibly be because you make money hand over fist selling booze?

[demigoddess]

15. republicans keep saying state laws should trump federal laws

except when they don't like them. But legalizing marijuana would be like having alcohol legal in one state and not in another. Not exactly earth shattering. It's been done for years.