Legalizing Marijuana: Washington Law Goes Into Effect, Allowing Recreational Use Of Drug

[unhappycamper]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/06/legalizing-marijuana-washington-state_n_2249238.html




Legalizing Marijuana: Washington Law Goes Into Effect, Allowing Recreational Use Of Drug
By GENE JOHNSON 12/06/12 05:22 AM ET EST AP

SEATTLE — The crowds of happy people lighting joints under Seattle's Space Needle early Thursday morning with nary a police officer in sight bespoke the new reality: Marijuana is legal under Washington state law.

Hundreds gathered at Seattle Center for a New Year's Eve-style countdown to 12 a.m., when the legalization measure passed by voters last month took effect. When the clock struck, they cheered and sparked up in unison.

A few dozen people gathered on a sidewalk outside the north Seattle headquarters of the annual Hempfest celebration and did the same, offering joints to reporters and blowing smoke into television news cameras.

"I feel like a kid in a candy store!" shouted Hempfest volunteer Darby Hageman. "It's all becoming real now!"

[Iggy]

1. And....???

when are the state owned/run pot shops going to be opened-- and just how are the going to open with the federal government stopping them?

[AgingAmerican]

2. Good question

The state is limiting THC content to 7%. That is below the potency of Mexican schwag. Good luck selling that in this state. The regular weed here is highly potent. The medical cannabis law will run concurrent to the new law, meaning medical pot will be 2 - 3 times stronger. It will be interesting to see how that plays out.

When they first passed a dispensary law, the feds threatened that any state employee that assisted helping any dispensary would be prosecuted under federal law. Because of that, the attorney general at the time, Christine Gregoir, scratched out those provisions and made a law that instead legalized medical marijuana co-ops. The law is very vague, but it got state employees off the hook.

I do not see this going well between the Feds and the state, unless something in the federal law is changed and I don't see that happening with our faux moralistic 'Old boy' system.

[BridgeTheGap]

3. And I'm tired of Presidential candidates who promise to let the states

decide but never deliver on the promise.

[Iggy]

5. YOU and Me Both!

"state's rights" is a total farce-- let's face it.

I burst out laughing when I hear clownservatives advocate state's rights-- what they actually mean is selective state's rights. States are "free" to pass their own laws.. but not when it comes to gay marriage, legalized pot, etc., etc. let's stop the BULLcrap, please.

[Iggy]

4. 7 Percent... hah Hhah!!

correct; good luck selling ditch weed at extremely high prices/highly taxed.

the anti state control people saw this coming along ago-- the product will not have the potency of what users are accustomed to. forget it.

[AgingAmerican]

6. They say they will sell it for 400$ per oz

You can buy top grade 17% - 22% for $150 - $200 per oz in the cannabis farmers market here. It's just stupid. They also say it will be illegal to transport it. "We will sell it to you, but if you drive off with it you go to jail"

The law also says that the mere suspicion of being stoned driving gives the police t e right to blood test you. If you refuse you get an automatic DUI conviction. The medical cannabis community fought the law because you know the cops will use it to harass people.

Leave it to legislators to screw up something this simple.

[Iggy]

7. It's Stupid

Thus what we'll end up with there is the good stuff still being sold-- illegally on the "black market".. and cops still busting people. Not sure just how this is legalization.