I-75: Pot measure backed by money, political support (appears to pass!!)

[Ediacara]

Wednesday, September 17, 2003

I-75: Pot measure backed by money, political support

By SAM SKOLNIK
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

Seattle voters were asked to send a message to local police and prosecutors: Don't go after pot smokers.

While Initiative 75 wouldn't actually legalize marijuana possession, it would make the city stand out nationally for its liberal attitude on the topic.

I-75 would require the Seattle Police Department and the City Attorney's Office to make small-scale marijuana possession, when intended for adult personal use, their "lowest law-enforcement priority."

Early absentee results Tuesday night showed the measure with a slight lead.

More at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer

[Forkboy]

1. Are we finally seeing some sanity on this issue?

Hope that slight lead holds.

[joshcryer]

2. Definitely, finally some sanity!

About damn time.

[Ediacara]

3. WITH 97% OF PRECINCTS COUNTED, I-75 WINS WITH 58.5%!

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/politics/election2003/results.html

[joshcryer]

4. YES!! This is practically bring Victoria BC to the USA!!!

I mean, maybe not to the extent pot is smoked up there, but damn, this is great news! Maybe the cops will be more apathetic now!

[Whoa_Nelly]

5. Will this be a one-time referendum ...

to put the initiative into action? Or does the city have to vote again to have it be passed and sent on to be a legal ordinance?

[Ediacara]

6. it's a regular initiative

and should be binding without any other legislation or wrangling.

[Whoa_Nelly]

7. Way cool :-)

O8) _O_ :smoke:

[Robin Hood]

8. It looks like i'm moving to Seattle.

Unless oregon pulls it's head out of it's butt.

[DarkPhenyx]

9. Just becasue I am a kill joy.

Here is the downside to this issue. Now that it has passed it becomes a rallying point for the Right. A fairly strong one too. Not everyone on the left wants to see any drugs legalized. If they can spin this right, adn they will give a good shot at it, the Right will be able to draw off many of the Moderate and Moderate-Left voters simply by saying "see what happens when you let Liberals run the government". IOW: They will get many of the votes we need to carry the day in 2004. This is an issue that most people will have an easier time relating to directly. It isn't as abstract as the ME crisis, terrorissm, and war.

[R Hickey]

10. Still I think it is a worthy cause.

How much is this 'Pot War' costing every state government right now? Is the priority of those governments prison building, or balancing state budgets?

If we lock up every pot smoker, we will bankrupt every state. And that means higher property taxes, higher sales taxes, and higher state income taxes.

America locks up one forth of all the prisoners on earth. Since Reagan, we've become number one in prisons and prison building. Our prison population has quadrupled since Reagan/Bush took office in 1980. Many prisoners in this country are non-violent pot smokers who should not be punished at all.

[DarkPhenyx]

11. I'm not arguing that.

I think it's silly too. Pot does less damage than alcohol, but it's ilelgal adn my beloved Guinesses isn't.

I'm just pointing out that there are potential downsides to this action that we need to be prepared for. Seriously hate winning that battle only to find we've lost the war in the process.

[R Hickey]

12. One thing that I think you have a point on is...

I've heard that the Bush administration wants to budget a huge amount of money ($100 million or so) towards anti-pot TV ads, which can easily be twisted, with Karl Rove holding the purse strings and writing the ad copy. These TV commercials could be taylored into anti-Democrat TV ads.

[GinaMaria]

18. If it's framed in the medical use context

Pukes will have a difficult time using it. approx 70% of Americans support the use of cannabis for medical use. I-75 protects critically and terminally ill people with severe nausea and or pain from arrest when they use cannabis to relieve their symptoms.

Compassionate use should be a rallying point.

[Fovea]

19. I think that the pro prison attack will make little difference in the end.

Not everyone on the right wants the current situation to continue either. Ashcroft's Tommy Chong maneuver, and the assault on the gravely ill has not played well with a large number of voters, I suspect a large majority of voters, in fact. The fact that Patriot is now being used against dealers will pretty much be the kiss of death on the drug war.

It is a lie of the same magnitude as the Yellowcake debacle. All of Ashcroft's protests to the contrary, PATRIOT act was the first step to gulag America. When the neighbor's kid becomes an unperson, people will stampede.

This is an issue that will scramble both aisles. It will also wrap itself around the issue of Canadian Perscription Drugs.
I expect a large groundswell of 'piss off' when the right makes it an issue. The swing voters, in particular will not side with them on this issue, and the knuckle draggers will remain as they are already. This is a big loser issue for Bush. And I don't think Bush wants the word 'drugs' used in any capacity in the next year.

[jono]

20. I don't think that will happen

I don't think it will get that much attention, honestly, and if it doesn't, it won't matter because Bush will never carry Seattle anyway.

If it does get traction nationally, it's not going to be a huge winner issue for the right. There are plenty of Libertarians who would side with this vote, and I honestly think that the average moderate voter is far more concerned with having a job or "the war on terror" or whatever else than they are about prosecuting pot smokers.

And if they do care about this, we simply start the rallying cry: "Pot is less dangerous than cocaine!"

:smoke:

[FrankBooth]

13. Sweet

I voted for it!

[maxsolomon]

14. me too, BUT...

the cops sure don't sound like they plan to change anything, they're whining that its an "unfunded mandate" (because it called for a(nother) study to prove weed's innocuousness).

now legalization advocates need to wait & prove that the sky didn't fall.

[skip fox]

15. Just Say Yo!

Another Bumpersticker for the New Millenium, in honor of Seattle.

[Terran]

16. Berkeley CA enacted the same law decades ago

when I was, um, going to school at UC (dating myself--it was circa 1979). I wonder if it's still on the books. Congrats to the people of Seattle for this progressive and liberal policy decision!

[Ganja Ninja]

17. Legalize and tax pot.

Expand the economy, put tabbaco farmers back to work and help pay for Bush's mismanagement in one move.

[jono]

21. kick

I'm kicking this because it hasn't attracted nearly the attention that the bloody espresso tax has.

:smoke: :kick: :smoke:

[Chovexani]

22. Amen!

That's the most sensible thing I've heard all day. :smoke: