So I Filed A Ballot Initiative Yesterday
Over the weekend, I co-authored a proposed initiative repealing the State of Washington’s criminal penalties relating to the adult use, possession and cultivation. Then on Monday I drove to Olympia with co-author Douglas Hiatt and delivered the proposed text to the Secretary of State’s office and paid the $5 filing fee. So that’s why there were no posts on Monday. I can assure you that nothing sucks up all your time like helping to organize such an effort and then hammering out the language and figuring out what sections of state law apply. Needless to say, I am exhausted.
I think the findings and intent of the proposed initiative are covered fairly nicely in language I am about 50 percent responsible for and it should give you all a decent idea of why I am doing what I am doing:
“1. Whereas the State of Washington wastes tens of millions of dollars a year in taxpayer funds senselessly prosecuting responsible citizens of Washington State for use, possession and cultivation of marijuana, a benign therapeutic substance, and whereas citizens of the state face arrest, prosecution and loss of rights including property, employment and education for use of marijuana; and,
“2. Whereas the State of Washington’s medical marijuana law, enacted by the People in 1998, has proven ineffective at protecting the rights of citizens of Washington State; and,
“3. Whereas Washington State farmers and landowners are prohibited from growing industrial hemp on their land, denying them the ability to grow a valuable, environmentally friendly crop; and,
“4. Whereas the State Legislature has proven ineffective at offering appropriate legal remedies to the citizens of the State of Washington:
“The People of the State of Washington hereby repeal any and all criminal penalties for the adult use, possession, possession with intent to deliver, delivery and manufacture/cultivation of marijuana.”
We await language and code changes from the Secretary of State’s office and then proposed ballot title and ballot question language from the Washington State Attorney General, all of which should take a month or so. Then we’ll be approved to circulate petitions for voter signature and need 241,000 valid ones to get on the statewide ballot for this November.
The Associated Press has a good article on our effort. In it, I was encouraged to see some support from one county’s Prosecuting Attorney for getting the laws around marijuana in this state clarified. But I was deeply disappointed to read the comments of the ACLU of Washington’s Alison Holcomb, who hadn’t read our initiative yet felt compelled to trash it…probably because her group is pushing the Legislature to adopt one of its bills in its current session. She sure doesn’t come off looking either classy or accurate in her assessment of our proposed initiative and what it would do since it is clearly designed to let the State Legislature come back next year–if our initiative passes–and draft appropriate time, place and manner kinds of restrictions on adult marijuana use, possession and cultivation…something the Leg seems incapable of achieving on its own.
So anyway that’s what I’ve been up to the past few days.
Related posts:
Posted in Furious Seasons