We are not a red State or a Blue State, we are a stoned and frugal WA State!
Twelve Washington state representatives are introducing a bill that would reclassify first-time marijuana offenses as a $100 fine. Currently under state law, possessing even the slightest amount of pot can get you up to 90 days in jail.
I spent last Saturday at the Washington Environmental Council priorities meeting, and had a chance to see Dave Upthegrove in action. He didn’t mention this bill directly, but one of his co-chairs, Senator-Elect Fred Jarrett, while discussing our recession, said “It would be a shame to waste a good crisis.”
This logic works wonders for the drug war. This war is costly, and ineffective. Obama’s scalpel and McCain’s hatchet should be directed here first. According to statistics found on the Stranger’s slog, marijuana-related incarcerations cost us $7.5 million dollars a year. The left’s desire to decriminalize drug use and the right’s desire to cut costs may actually come together on this one.
Will it be easy? Of course not. Nothing is, and there are still a lot of people out there that are afraid of change. But other states have done this, and there’s been no negative repercussions.
Currently representatives Upthegrove, Williams, Moeller, Appleton, Pedersen, Ormsby, Dickerson, Carlyle, Roberts, Wood, Cody and Nelson have signed onto the bill. Pretty good head start.
Let’s get more yes votes.
Anyone can call the legislature. Contract employees get paid $2k+ a month to answer phones and listen to your opinions. I’d recommend placing a phone call to your three immediate elected officials.
Easiest way to find these three people is on the following website:
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/Default.aspx
And here’s the official page for the bill. You can now even get all the info you need via an RSS feed.
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=1177&year=2009#documents