Today is the 80th anniversary of repealing alcohol prohibition. Folks are celebrating all over the city. But some of the parties are in neighborhoods where children exist, with their watchful child eyeballs. So nine treatment professionals including Richard Catalano, a professor at the UW’s school of social work, told the city to stop this menace. They asked the city to shut down these celebrations. If society acknowledges that prohibition was a failure, that cocktails are delicious, and that adults can responsibly enjoy a booze buzz, that could poison the minds of Seattle youth.

PSYCH!

There’s no word that Catalano did that—not for booze.

However, this week is also the one-year anniversary of the repeal of pot prohibition. And to celebrate, Stranger columnist Ben Livingston got a permit for a pot party on December 6 under the Space Needle. The party is out of public view in a big tent, behind fencing, and safely sequestered behind a beer-garden-style moat. Still, Catalano and eight other treatment professionals did ask the Seattle Center, the mayor, and the city council to shut down the party that celebrates repealing pot prohibition.

Ben reports:

“Not only will this public event be in violation of state law, Seattle Center is a poor location for the party considering it takes place during Winterfest, a family-friendly event,” they wrote.

The group includes Richard Catalano, director of a UW research center that will advise the state on drug-prevention grants generated by revenue from pot taxes. They argue that state law bans smoking in “public places,” Initiative 502 bans pot use on public property, and pot-tolerant parties should be 1,000 feet from schools and parks.

So it’s illegal and terrible for fambwies!?!! No, as Ben explains. The smoking ban in question doesn’t apply outdoors, the pot will be kept out of plain sight to conform with legal standards, and—for fuck’s sake—that family-friendly Winterfest event that must be protected from a pot tent?

It has beer gardens.

Maybe Catalno and his gang are upset about the alcohol parties—maybe they tried to shut down those family-friendly Winterfest beer gardens and all the other beer gardens at Seattle Center—but I doubt it. Ending alcohol prohibition was good for society, even fambwies! So using children as weapons in a war for dry Victorian purity would make them unconvincing windbags. If they want to be credible, they know they can’t talk that way about alcohol. But they haven’t learned that about pot, apparently. They are peddling anti-pot bullshit, crushing their own credibility, and teaching kids to ignore people like them. That’s too bad. Kids shouldn’t use pot. Catalano and company should keep their powder dry so they’re actually credible when it counts, not attacking adults celebrating prohibition repeal day. Which is worth celebrating, for booze and pot.