Legalization Bill

Is the state legislature getting scared and actually starting to do something or is it just more theater??? Keep in mind, everything they have done so far in many areas has led to the present state of affairs. Are they now going to make cannabis the new tax baby? I went to buy tobacco, and it seems it jumped $3.00 for 4 oz. :wtf:

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Bill proposes to sell pot through state liquor stores

Posted by Joanna Nolasco

State Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson, D-Seattle, is again proposing that the state legalize marijuana and regulate it much like alcohol.

House Bill 1550, filed Tuesday, proposes that pot be sold through state liquor stores to adults aged 21 and over, and that the state Liquor Control Board issue licenses to commercial growers.

Dickerson sponsored similar legislation in the previous legislative session, but the bill was voted down in the House Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Committee.

â??We listened to the concerns of law enforcement, medical marijuana patients and others and made several important improvementsâ?� to the bill, Dickerson said in a statement. â??Our new bill includes provisions for industrial hemp and allows the cultivation of cannabis for personal use, similar to home brewing and wine making.â?�

Dickerson estimates that the measure could raise about $400 million each biennium through sales and licensing fees. The bill proposes to allocate 77 percent of revenue raised to health care and 20 percent to substance abuse and treatment.

Co-sponsors of the bill are: Reps. Roger Goodman, D-Kirkland; Dave Upthegrove, D-Des Moines; Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle; Sherry Appleton, D-Poulsbo; Mary Helen Roberts, D-Lynnwood; Eileen Cody, D-West Seattle; Luis Moscoso, D-Mountlake Terrace; Deb Eddy, D-Kirkland; Tami Green, D-Lakewood; Jeannie Darneille, D-Tacoma, and Joe Fitzgibbon, D-Burien.

Politics Northwest | Bill proposes to sell pot through state liquor stores | Seattle Times Newspaper

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Originally Posted by gypski

Is the state legislature getting scared and actually starting to do something or is it just more theater??? Keep in mind, everything they have done so far in many areas has led to the present state of affairs. Are they now going to make cannabis the new tax baby? I went to buy tobacco, and it seems it jumped $3.00 for 4 oz. :wtf:

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Notice the area of the state in which these folks represent??? That speaks for itself. Are they just trying to collect a pay check ? or are just stirring up the political arena?

Time will tell us all what's up.

I would support part of the funding going for treatment for LEOs with the arrest pot smokers addiction. But all the money needs to go into a locked box and not touched by or for the general slush fund. :S2:

Sorry I just got this posted. It was a long day in Portland at the Quest Center, but I got to meet/see the new naturopath for free. I just saw this.

Cannabis Legalization Initiative Will Be Filed In Washington Jan. 26 - Toke of the Town
Toke of the Town - Cannabis news, rumor and humor

Sensible Washington is filing the intitiative tomorrow and will move forward with ending the prohibition of cannabis.
I, for one, am not willing to wait and trust that our legislators will do the right thing. :D

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Originally Posted by time4me

Sensible Washington is filing the intitiative tomorrow and will move forward with ending the prohibition of cannabis.
I, for one, am not willing to wait and trust that our legislators will do the right thing. :D

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It will keep feet to the fire on both sides. Now let's see who crosses the goal line first!! :D :cool:

Frankly, at this point, including what I have learned over time, it seems to me the best approach is to first remove all criminal penalties. As a State, I don't think the State can reverse a Federal law, but can choose to not enforce it.

That was the brunt of 1064 and should have a major play in the first successful 'legalization' of cannabis in the future.

But to make a very clear point....no legislation from a state can change federal law.

I am curious about something...Is there any plant grown that you have to pay to grow it? Do farmers need to pay $75,000 to get a license to be a farmer? I have heard some want it to cost $75,000 to get a license to be a grower, I feel this would be wrong and create even more criminals...I hope they don't make it so only the rich can get richer.

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Originally Posted by WashougalWonder

Frankly, at this point, including what I have learned over time, it seems to me the best approach is to first remove all criminal penalties. As a State, I don't think the State can reverse a Federal law, but can choose to not enforce it.

That was the brunt of 1064 and should have a major play in the first successful 'legalization' of cannabis in the future.

But to make a very clear point....no legislation from a state can change federal law.

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The biggest problem is the fact that legislatures no longer have the best interests of their citizens held first, but the interests of those who profit from the citizens. They have morphed so well, we are just money machines that keep feeding the beast. Government is good, but when it leads from one train wreck to the next, its time to change the engineers. Or get their minds right again. :D

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Originally Posted by time4me

Sensible Washington is filing the intitiative tomorrow and will move forward with ending the prohibition of cannabis.
I, for one, am not willing to wait and trust that our legislators will do the right thing. :D

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I'm with you. This bill is all about generating revenue and nothing else. I knew this would happen when people started talking about letting the legislature work up a bill.
Lets get the intiative passed and just figure on every 2 or 3 years we'll have to pass another one. We'll have to turn Sensible Washington into the nest Tim Eyman.lol

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Originally Posted by killerweed420

I'm with you. This bill is all about generating revenue and nothing else. I knew this would happen when people started talking about letting the legislature work up a bill.
Lets get the intiative passed and just figure on every 2 or 3 years we'll have to pass another one. We'll have to turn Sensible Washington into the nest Tim Eyman.lol

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teehee, I was thinking the same thing about being an Eyman!
Legalize in 2011! :hippy:

Removing cannabis from state strict liability crime to no state public offence will open the flood gates for the feds to move on in... the only thing keeping the feds at bay for the most part in our mmj community...is section 903 of the CSA, which is the medical exemption..so the theory goes.

There is no exemption under the federal csa for full no public offence legislation recognized in the whole scheme of that legislation... just something to think about in the big picture of things...even though I agree states have a right to change it's drug laws up/down or remove them. Since both occupy that field of enforcement...with legislation by >BOTH<.

It will be just like the Arizona case going on right now over immigration ...so the big shot lawyers in our country claim when shit hits the fan...:( ..not nice to hear hot shot high rolling legal buffs claiming such none-sense.

You can bet your sweet fanny that the feds will be making it hard for us citizens to even enjoy this law. How you ask, DTF contracts to our local level LEA/LEO ...we need to gut these programs of funding to our locals, or it will just continue via them.

The worthington case showed that when a claim is made against a DTF agent or agency, the U.S. AG steps in with a blanket party.

Lol we all new this was coming. If there is money to be made the state wants in. And they want to control it just like the liq. I wonder if the state will have protection from the feds because all of us in the mmj community dont.
Natural Green

Hiatt met with Prop 19 supporters to try to learn from their experience. Hiatt said the Californians urged Sensible Washington to leave the details of regulating legalized marijuana to lawmakers, should Evergreen State voters OK the initiative.

I can agree that something must be done. I only wonder about some in the movement because there is a lot of backstabbing or diversion of motives with some in the movement. I like the holistic approach the best with outright legalization and a separation between medical and recreational. :cool:

Legalized marijuana in Washington? Proponents try again

New initiative proposal to legalize pot in Wash. | Seattle News, Weather, Sports, Breaking News | KOMO News | Local & Regional

We all knew the state would step in and tax it anyway, and that the feds are going to fight it. Look at how they are threatening Oakland, CA. But, we will start the fight. It's high time someone did (pun intended).
I'm throwing in with Sensible Washington. The legislature will hold theirs off and see what happens, then will change their bill to fit and to get regs into place right away. Both bills introduced by the legislature were set to go into law in 2012.
I'd like to see the SW make it. The people will have spoken on the matter. It makes a difference.

Even if the state legislature does pass laws to try and protect us from legal action by LEO it still won't protect us at the federal level. I'm one of those 10th Amendment believers and believe that if the feds do step in again there needs to be a class action lawsuit filed by the injured parties on the fact that the feds do not have jurisdiction in these kinds of matters unless it crosses state lines.
And if the initiative passes that is probably what is going to take place. The feds will not be happy that cannabis is legalized as a recreational drug. But people have to make a stand. We can't just continue to allow the feds to roll over us.