Sensible Washington today announced that it has filed a ballot initiative with the office of Washington Secretary of State Sam Reed to completely reform marijuana laws in the State of Washington. If certified for signature gathering and later approved by Washington voters in the November 2010 general election, the measure would remove all criminal penalties under Washington law for the adult use, possession and cultivation of marijuana.
“It’s time for a bold move,” said Douglas Hiatt, an initiative co-author and Seattle attorney who has long defended medical marijuana patients in the state. “The state legislature has proven year after year that it cannot and will not protect the rights of medical marijuana patients and the right of average citizens who use marijuana recreationally and responsibly. So it is now time to put the question of marijuana legal reform directly to the voters.”
Approval of the initiative would then force the Legislature to enact sensible regulation of marijuana during its 2011 session.
“Everyone knows it’s a stupid law,” said Jeffrey Steinborn, a Seattle attorney who specializes in marijuana cases. “This is a simple straightforward solution.”
Hiatt added that Washington has had a voter-approved medical marijuana law since 1998 and yet hundreds of patients a year in the state run afoul of law enforcement, have property seized and their lives disrupted even while they are following the law. What’s more, between 7,000 and 10,000 Washington citizens are busted for marijuana use and possession each year in the state. Prosecuting and, in some cases, incarcerating these citizens costs the state tens of millions of dollars a year, expenditures that are tough to justify during the state’s ongoing budget crisis.
Other authors of the initiative include: Vivian McPeak, a co-founder of Seattle Hempfest and well-known peace activist; Ric Smith, a longtime medical marijuana patient; and, Philip Dawdy, a Seattle journalist and former Seattle Weekly staff reporter, who’s written several articles over the years about the insanity of marijuana laws.
“Washington State’s marijuana laws are fixing a problem that doesn’t exist and the process is denying citizens precious civil liberties,” said McPeak. “This initiative is an effort to correct that.”
Sensible Washington hopes to have the initiative approved for petition circulation by March 1. Under Washington law, Sensible Washington would have until early July to collect 241,153 valid signatures from registered voters.
regulation and legalization are impossible to do under the same initiative due to washington state’s very strict single issue rule. so we’ll legalize and let the state legislature come in and regulate soon thereafter. the public is smart enough to understand this.
I agree with John Williams. If you propose an initiative that has no regulation or taxation, and permits sales????. What are you guys thinking of? I don’t care how well you put this out there and how many people sign, I don’t think this bill has a snowball’s chance in hell of passing without something for the people of the state of Washington that don’t partake of this herb. Make it realistic if it’s not too late. Tax it like alcohol and build revenue for our state to help with schools and infrastructure. I believe this to be the only way to get this passed. It almost sounds like the designers of this initiative want it to fail, and take my word for it, it will go down in flames if no revenue for the non users is involved. We can’t throw this in people’s faces and tell them it’s too late for regulation. Regulation is the only avenue this bill has for success.
Let’s have marijuana sold at state liquor stores, put a lot of boot-leggers out of business, and pick up some additional revenue for the state of Washington.
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW TO GET PETITIONS TO HELP GATHER SIGNATURES.
Thanks for the beef!!!
HERE IS THE BEEF
http://www.scribd.com/doc/25228479/Sensible-Washington-s-Marijuana-Legalization-Initiative-Preliminary-Draft-2010-01-11
Anyone interested in seeing a rough draft can go to cannacare.org in the news and views forum and see the basic text of the initiative.
Please infom me on how to get forms to help gather signature. I live in Olympia
they said no to 2401 and a statement was made that if it wasn’t passed it will be left to the people so lets show them lead butts how to make a law. with no taxes (i believe) they had their chance to tax it and regulate it their way now it will be out of their hands. YES!!!!
please let us know where to sign so we can get this up for a vote.
PLEASE ,EVERYONE READ HB2401,ESPECIALLY SEC.86, IT REPEALS OUR MED-MJ LAW.
Do let us know where we can sign the initiative
Where’s the text of the initiative?
Philip Dawdy, initiative co-author, responds: As soon as it is approved by the Secretary of State and state Attorney General, we will post the text of the initiative. That will be a few weeks from now.