Ballot may be next arena for marijuana battle
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 | 5:05 pm
As expected, today the House Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Committee did vote down legislation to legalize use of marijuana by adults. The panel also rejected a bill to reduce penalties for adults caught possessing a small amount of dope.
On the legalization measure, House Bill 2401, the vote was 6-2. Three Democrats joined the committee's three Republicans in rejecting the bill.
On the decriminalization proposal, House Bill 1177 the tally was 5-3. Rep. Al O'Brien, D-Mountlake Terrace, who opposed legalization did endorse lighter penalties.
“Possession of a minor amount is not a big deal,” said O'Brien, a former Seattle cop. “We can save our jail space. We can save the time of our law enforcement agencies.”
Now legalization backers will focus their efforts on an initiative filed for the November ballot by Sensible Washington.
The measure would remove criminal penalties possessing, cultivating and using marijuana. Petitions could be available for circulation by March 1, according to the group's Web site.
To qualify, the group must submit 241,153 valid signatures of Washington voters by July 2.
On the legalization measure, House Bill 2401, the vote was 6-2. Three Democrats joined the committee's three Republicans in rejecting the bill.
On the decriminalization proposal, House Bill 1177 the tally was 5-3. Rep. Al O'Brien, D-Mountlake Terrace, who opposed legalization did endorse lighter penalties.
“Possession of a minor amount is not a big deal,” said O'Brien, a former Seattle cop. “We can save our jail space. We can save the time of our law enforcement agencies.”
Now legalization backers will focus their efforts on an initiative filed for the November ballot by Sensible Washington.
The measure would remove criminal penalties possessing, cultivating and using marijuana. Petitions could be available for circulation by March 1, according to the group's Web site.
To qualify, the group must submit 241,153 valid signatures of Washington voters by July 2.
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