Slog

News & Arts

Line Out

Music & the City
at Night

« Buy Buttons for Kindle Books Disapp… | Mitt Romney's Campaign Really Belie… »

Friday, November 9, 2012

2012 Gregoire Not Talking to the Feds About Pot (Yet)

Posted by Eli Sanders on Fri, Nov 9, 2012 at 6:00 AM

The Governor of Colorado, who opposed his state's marijuana legalization measure, plans to get on the phone with the Justice Department today and has been cautioning his state's citizens not to "break out the Cheetos or gold fish too quickly."

Washington Governor Chris Gregoire? She's a bit more relaxed about the whole thing.

Gregoire’s staff, along with the state attorney general and the Liquor Control Board, is instead planning to meet internally first regarding Initiative 502, said her spokesman, Cory Curtis. “We obviously have to have the conversation” with the Justice Department, said Curtis. “There’s this cloud hanging over it, no pun intended..."

Curtis said contact with the Justice Department will likely begin through the state attorney general and the Liquor Control Board, which is the lead agency in setting up I-502′s state-licensed marijuana stores. AG spokeswoman Janelle Guthrie said the agencies have not met to game-plan for I-502.

This is yet another realm in which the saying is true: elections have consequences. Imagine how different this would be going here in Washington State if we had a Governor Elect Rob McKenna and an Attorney General Elect Reagan Dunn.

FacebookShare

Comments (7) RSS

Newest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment

Exactly, @6.

Face it, they only have 200 feds in the entire state, it's not like they can do anything about it.

Posted by Will in Seattle

on November 9, 2012 at 11:16 AM

I don't want to completely pooh-pooh the influence of the governor or AG, but who fucking cares, really? We have a state statute which can't be overturned except by the legislature. And we have a federal drug enforcement regime which may or may not try to assert supremacy over state law. Other than begging the feds to act or not, the Gov and AG have no power here.

Posted by podcaf on November 9, 2012 at 10:04 AM

I'm really holding out hope that this will create armed conflict between the state and the feds.

Posted by GLITUR_Chad on November 9, 2012 at 9:38 AM

@1 I suspect it switches to liberalization of the new law--toward a someday future where you can buy store-brand pot at the QFC, instead of state-run stores--plus a focus on national decriminalization.

Posted by Cow on November 9, 2012 at 6:37 AM

The governor of Colorado has made a fortune selling recreational drugs. He's not thrilled by the idea that there's a new legal recreational drug in his state, potentially cutting into his revenues. When he says, "don't break out the cheetos", what he means is "stick with the complementary pretzels and salted nuts, preferably in one of the many fine brew pubs I own in the greatr Denver area."

Posted by Eric from Boulder on November 9, 2012 at 6:23 AM

Amen! Wish I had stock in Frito-Lay!

Posted by pat L on November 9, 2012 at 6:13 AM

The lightly believed rumor that has been around for a while now is that Chris "Don't Call Me Christine" Gregoire is in line to be Obama's next AG.
If this happens, what will be her stance vis a vis her old state? Obama doesn't need to win another election, so does he leave WA to our own devices?

Big Question: If this does go smoothly, what becomes of HempFest? The political angle will be moot, so does it become just another trade show at the Exhibition Center, like a restaurant suppliers convention?

Posted by Sir Vic on November 9, 2012 at 6:12 AM