Sensible Washington has learned that one dozen signed copies of I-1068, the marijuana legalization initiative for Washington State of which Sensible Washington is the sponsor, were seized last week by the federally-funded WestNet drug task force. Our estimate is that 200 signatures are sitting in WestNet’s offices in Port Orchard, apparently seized as evidence during a series of raids against the North End Club 420 in Tacoma. The club is operating as a medical marijuana dispensary.
We have made repeated calls to WestNet’s office, but have yet to receive any assurance that the task force’s personnel have secured the signed petitions and that they plan to promptly return them to Sensible Washington.
“It proves how insane marijuana prohibition has gotten that law enforcement would seize signed copies of I-1068 as ‘evidence’ in a drug raid,” said Philip Dawdy, I-1068 campaign director and an initiative co-author. “The only thing they are evidence of is democracy in action. It is not a crime or evidence of a crime for citizens to sign a statewide initiative.”
Sensible Washington calls upon WestNet to immediately return the seized petitions to our offices at 3161 Elliott Avenue, Suite 340, Seattle WA 98121 or to make other arrangements for their immediate delivery to Sensible Washington.
{ 26 comments }
The question is: Did the warrant ALLOW the confiscation of the petitions?
wow so let me get this straight they find it legal to hold a lawful petition hostage to look for new offenders and yet pretend it is no big deal. I am confused that law enforcement thinks it is proper to hold a gun to a child while his mother is questioned, by that logic is is suitable to hold a gun to the children of the police officers while they are questioned about the violation of constitutional rights of the citizens that they are sworn to protect and serve. This type of action is disgusting and the officers should be charged intimidation and wreckless use of fire arms. People these citizens are given the power to be cops by us and they only have that power to protect us from criminals, sounds to me like they are now the criminals. But who is going to police the police if normal people are not going to. Look even if you are not pro medical marijuana you should still be outraged by the actions of law enforcement and the tactics that are used time and time again, throwing down people in wheelchairs and holding guns on children. The argument that legalization of the herb would instantly put drug dealers next to our childrens lockers at school is an ignorant argument when guns are being pointed at the children by police to protect them already, are you really concerned that a drug dealer is going to point a gun at your child to get them to try marijuana, this is absurd but the cops already are pointing guns at our children “for your childs safety” and that is a fact not some ridiculous hypothetical situation made up by the people pointing guns at your kids to justify their actions! Yes my tone is disgust and everyone should be disgusted!
we’ll be fighting to ensure the copies are destroyed
“…everybody knows that they have photo copied the names and address and are doing as much research on each one as they can. They think that those 200 signatures is and easy bust for them. …”
ah…I am ONE of the people who signed the petitions that were SEIZED by this federal drug squad…my name and address are on that petition…and i am TERRORIZED by this….TERRIFIED! …I am a VALID Washington medical marijuana patient and grow my own within the limits allowed….am i going to get a surprise visit from the WestNet goon squad, which enforces FEDERAL drug law in Washington….and, at their whim be STRIPPED of my state granted medical marijuana “affirmative defense” rights when they won’t even allow me to argue it in THEIR federal court where ALL marijuana is illegal? …all because I signed an election petition in WA?
and, by the way…..EVERY signature is as important as any other signature…if we lose sight of this, we’re doomed….what they do to ONE of us, they do to ALL of us……and MY signature is STILL being held hostage by a federal drug squad! I don’t know what to do….I’m very frightened….i have no defenses against a gang of machine-gun toting thugs who just might show up and demolish my peaceful home….to teach me a lesson.
I am little old lady, and I am SICK. This is making me SICKER by the minute.
Christine: I too was troubled by Jody’s casual dismissal of the petitions and interpretations of illegal actions. Please excuse the tone of the following if it sounds “preachy.”
It is a real temptation to react to ignorance, closed mindedness, and the mean spiritedness encountered around legalization. I, and I’m sure others, face it when out collecting signatures (like the guy who told me yesterday that I should be in jail, or the one who yelled, “Hey loser, get a life and stop smoking pot.”).
We are involved in a political action and this site is the first page opened when people visit the Sensible Washington–the place where we are directing people to get information to convince them to support our movement. We do not want to alienate supporters (even ignorant ones) and we want to make some connections with opponents. I’ve never convinced anybody of anything by name calling, swearing, or hurling insults.
I feel strongly that our passion and anger serves us well when channeled into constructive action. To the perception (still held by many) that marijuana users are dangerous, brain damaged, stoned out druggies on the way to heroin addiction, the counter to that is reasonableness, self-control, and even politeness.
And, as much as I deplore the storm trooper tactics of the police and viscerally react with almost hatred , I am convinced that since law enforcement types are the biggest supporters of prohibition and hold significant sway over public opinion, a critical component to success is getting as many of them as possible to see that repealing prohibition is something that can and should support.
After the troubling video, Columbia Police Chief Ken Burton “went out of his way ” a couple of days ago “to state his support for ending marijuana prohibition.” “I applaud your efforts,” he told a reporter who asked about campaigns to change marijuana laws. “If we could get out of the business [of going after marijuana offenders], I think there would be a lot of police officers that would be happy to do that.” (MPP)
We must not allow the police to get away with anything. and use their bad behavior to further our cause. But while doing so, for the sake of this movement, it is probably wise to temper our words and contrast our firm reasonableness to their despicable and thuggish behavior in specific terms civilly stated.
Again, please excuse the tone of my post if offensive, look to my motivation: the successful passage of I-1068. .
This is a message to”jordy” that says”who cares” what 200 signatures? Are you f#*$+#* kidding me with that??god people like you make my skin CRAWL,,, you state since the club broke the law let them have it!! You must be a westnet blogger?? First of all how the hell do you no anyone broke any law?? Haven’t you heard of lying bastard cops making shit up to get what they need? I pitty your ignorance ,you state you are intolarant of people that break the law? What law was broke for them to think they can steal ballots?? Really? Pull ur head outta ur ASS! Look up Det Roy Alloway?ever think he’d lie to get a search warrant! 16 dismissed cases say F#*@ ya he will! So befor you point ur finger at innocent club owner and oh ya the children that were terrorized there as well go reaf the court case when all is said and done, then u to can wash the egg from your face!!
I just sent the following to Senators Cantwell and Murray as well as Congressman McDermott:
Contact info:
http://cantwell.senate.gov/contact/
http://murray.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=ContactMe
https://forms.house.gov/mcdermott/webforms/contact.shtml
Wow this is against our rights.. End Prohibition is it rediculous
To start this is complete and utter bullshit. I did a little research the other day on what WestNet is and what they have done and ok so they have helped keep a KILO of METH off the street and a couple other good busts for hard drugs but really. they have stated that the meth production in Washington has gone down and this has allowed them to focus more on pot grow ops, but wait last time I checked the meth capitol of the world was fucking Bremerton. We live in the most tweeker infested states in the union, and if it’s not meth its crack, or shirm- o that’s a fun one to watch. Who here has seen the kid that smoked a wet stick last night and is now stuck moving his hands in ways that he has no control over? Its fucked up it really is. I have a theory what if all of this raised attention against pot clubs and grows in Washington via WestNet is because they know that their bread and butter is about to be legalized. they’re scared( they’d never admit it but they are) and as for the signatures lets be real, everybody knows that they have photo copied the names and address and are doing as much research on each one as they can. They think that those 200 signatures is and easy bust for them. This whole thing is ludicrous is really is and it comes a time in every great nation when the people need to buck the fuck up and do something. For too long we have just sat aside and been diplomatic and pretty much let the corrupt feds walk over us. If this is not an initiative to do something then I don’t know what is. FUCK WestNet maybe you should go bust a meth lab god knows there’s plenty around. People we need to stand up and fight for what we think is right I personally am sick of this bull shit.
-Mr. Taco-
Contact your state legislators and demand they make certain those petitions are released back to Sensible Washington, also notify your local news organizations and write letters to the editors of your local newspaper(s). The light of day must be shone upon those who would steal our liberty.
Give them back, it is my right to SIGN.
This is pretty typical of the federal approach to drugs. Take everything even if it has nothing to do with what you’re investigating and don’t answer any questions or admit you made any mistakes, because that would be IMPOSSIBLE now wouldn’t it?
They can’t prove those petition were signed by people who bought medical marijuana illegally anyway..he was a volunteer right he went and got those signatures on his own in a public place! This is purely just wrong!!
AG Rob McKenna just argued before the US Supreme Court in the Doe v. Reed case that signing an initiative petition is a legislative act as per Art 2 of the Washington Constitution. Thus the drug agents who seized the petitions are interfering with a constitutionally-protected legislative procedure.
This has nothing to do with wanting pot being legal, etc.
This is a case of profiling, plain and simple. Justice needs to be served to the entity that seized the documents, in the form of an official requirement for that entity to return the documents to Sensible Washington.
Ever been profiled for driving a car that appears to be a ‘drug dealer car’? (and pulled over for no apparent reason?) or have you been a teenager ordered to remove their backpack at the entry of stores/markets? it’s all in the same category. If you tolerated either of those two popular profiling incidents, then this is one time you should not tolerate your right as an American citizen to sign a petition despite the content.
Interfering with an election is serious business. It should not take a week to hand back a piece of paper.
Of course, the initiative if passed might lead to less business for the task force. The potential for corruption is obvious (…although a more likely explanation is just being a screwup)
I don’t see why anyone is upset here. 200 signatures won’t sway it one way or the other. If the petition is being used to identify those that broke the law at this club, then let them have it.
Despite wanting it legal myself, I am intolerant of those who would break the law instead of going through legal means (like a petition) to make their actions legal.
Citizens have the right to sign petitions with any nature of content and this is a violation of that right. There is no legal reason for the petitions to be part of a seize of evidence, it appears to be obvious internal politics and manipulation.
Anyone who believes their signature might be within these petitions should be persistent, and relentless in gaining the petitions back to where they belong.
This is unacceptable!
Reposted to my FB page, as well. WE THE PEOPLE seriously need to start standing up to our government and inform them that this “1984″-type bullshit will NOT be tolerated any more; nor will they continue using our Constitution for toilet paper. We DO have the right to remove them from their positions of power…
This is an outrage. How can the state police confiscate these? Aren’t the signers being deprived of their rights under the Washington State Constitution?
Hardly surprising. The Seattle Weekly reported that during this raid at the Olalla residence, these weed warriors “handcuffed her [Christine Casey, patient coordinator of North End Club 420] 14-year-old son for two hours and put a gun to his head.” The uniformed thugs said , “”they just wanted to keep him safe” as they questioned Guy Casey and several friends who were visiting. ”
When will the madness end?
This is BS…I was just at the Port Orchard Courthouse today to drop off completed Voter Registration forms! If had known prior, I would have personally picked the petitions up! If you get them released, I can go get them, Phillip!
All I feel after 4:20 today is confusion. Thank you Westnet for showing us what disgust feels like. I’m now going to shove my finger down my throat and vomit this memory away. Thanks and go take a flying leap back into that puss bubbling pool of filth from whence you came. JERKS! OH and LET ME IN THE BLOODY NAVY!
their action is appalling, unconstitutional, and poorly reasoned. another glowing example of the feds superceding state law, and the right to freely petition.
i hope what westnet has done pisses off some powerful people.
Reposted on facebook. Spread the word and bring these crooks out into the sunlight so everyone can get a look at them!
Exactly. These signed petitions have nothing to do with your raid. They are simply signatures of people who are choosing to exercise their rights as Americans. Give them up. Now.
Give them back to us, and give them back to us now. We won’t stand for it.
{ 5 trackbacks }