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Thursday, June 18, 2009

Drugs Hindsight Is 20-20

Posted by Dominic Holden on Thu, Jun 18, 2009 at 12:20 PM

It took nearly six years, but the Seattle Times finally came around on Initiative 75, a ballot measure to make marijuana enforcement the city's lowest law enforcement priority (an initiative that I ran). Here's what the editorial board wrote about it in September 2003:

Initiative 75: No on an unnecessary proposal to make enforcement of marijuana laws for adult personal use the lowest priority of the Seattle Police Department and City Attorney's Office. Marijuana enforcement already is a low priority. There is no threat and no need for an initiative telling law-enforcement officials how to do their jobs.

And here's what the Times wrote in an editorial today:

In 2003, Seattle voters approved a ballot measure to make marijuana possession the lowest police priority. Seattle has lived with this rule for more than five years. It is not perfect, but it is a more tolerable rule than the city had before. [...]

It is the right policy. The Obama administration should continue to stay back, and let the states, and cities like Seattle, discover what works.

PS to the ACLU of Washington and the Marijuana Policy Project — Run an initiative to decriminalize marijuana in Washington in 2010. You know it would pass. And, hey, it looks like the Times' ed board is finally with you.

Comments (11) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment

Your PS is right.

We're tired of this insanity.

Posted by Will in Seattle

on June 18, 2009 at 12:21 PM

WHO CARES? The only people who given a damn about drugs are addicts and Internet trolls with stupid hyphenated last names.

Posted by Good Guy on June 18, 2009 at 12:25 PM

Get over this bullshit and get a life. Didn't you get paid to start the initiative???

Posted by C-Word on June 18, 2009 at 12:34 PM

@ 3) I was a volunteer. Never got a penny for that initiative.

Posted by Dominic Holden on June 18, 2009 at 12:38 PM

@2, I think you're confusing pot with heroin. The majority of people who smoke pot are not addicts. We just like a joint the way that most people just enjoy a few beers. We are functional, job-holding, tax-paying members of society. So yes, we care. This is important.

Posted by cedarthvader

on June 18, 2009 at 12:46 PM

Or, start an initiative to change WA's medpot laws to be more like CA's (i.e. covering a far broader range of ailments and allowing doctors' discretion in general), and introduce a managed system of caregivers and dispensaries. That's clearly working well in CA and should be the model for evolving policies here.

Posted by Forthright on June 18, 2009 at 1:09 PM

@2 - whether you don't get near the stuff, or are a total doper... this is NOT the point. Any time you can eliminate a blank-check excuse for the cops to go totally crazy on normal people, this improves EVERYONE'S freedom and quality of life.

Posted by Karlheinz Arschbomber