In an unsigned editorial (although we all know it’s you, Bruce), the Seattle Times this afternoon called upon the Washington State Legislature to pass HB 1550, a bill that would legalize the manufacture and use of marijuana, and sell it through our state liquor stores.
MARIJUANA should be legalized, regulated and taxed. The push to repeal federal prohibition should come from the states, and it should begin with the state of Washington.
It’s a bold proposal, one rife with legal and political problems (not the least of which being the thorny issue of federal drug laws), but as the Seattle Times says, it’s “commonsensical.” Marijuana is relatively harmless (certainly less harmful than alcohol), and prohibition not only doesn’t work, it’s arguably counterproductive. And as I’ve frequently argued on HA, the state store system my Stranger colleagues so love to revile, gives us a ready-made infrastructure for regulating and taxing the sale of marijuana in a responsible and familiar manner:
Other states may be further along the political path toward de facto legalization, but no other state, with the exception of my native Pennsylvania, has a more robust system already in place for effectively executing it. Washington already heavily regulates the in-state manufacture of wine, beer and distilled spirits, and maintains an extensive statewide network of retail stores and distribution centers for the sole purpose of operating its exclusive monopoly on the retail sale of liquor. A similar monopoly on the legal sale of marijuana would not only be easily implemented, but highly profitable for taxpayers and state farmers alike.
At an estimated street value of over $1 billion a year, marijuana is already Washington’s number two cash crop, second only to apples, and consistently ranking us among the top five pot-producing states. By legalizing and regulating a crop that is already being grown, the state could impose standards of consistency and quality on the product, and by setting prices as the only legal buyer for the crop, farmers could be assured a stable, legal income for their efforts.
And considering the existing federal ban on marijuana, and the federal government’s constitutional authority over interstate commerce, Washington’s State Stores, by necessity, would initially only be able to buy and sell state-grown product, thus nurturing a nascent hemp industry that would eventually produce a valuable export commodity once the ban is lifted nationally, perhaps even dominating the market.
As for retail and consumption, the same restrictions that apply to the sale and use of liquor would apply to the sale and use of marijuana, with the state likely maintaining prices at or near current street levels. The result would be hundreds of millions of dollars a year in additional state revenues, plus hundreds of millions of dollars in savings from law enforcement and incarceration (not to mention the elimination of the incalculable human suffering caused by our current prohibition.) Distribution to minors, for profit or otherwise, would be strictly prohibited and harshly punished, as would driving under the influence of marijuana. And just as consumers may already legally make their own beer and wine for their own consumption, the current guidelines on medical marijuana could be easily adapted to apply to all home growers.
It’s not often I get to congratulate the Seattle Times editorial board for getting out in front of an important public policy issue (you know, on the non-evil side), but this is one subject on which we are in total agreement: legalize, regulate and tax the hell out of pot. Yeah, this would no doubt spark a contentious political battle with the feds, but that battle’s got to start somewhere, so it might as well start.
…perhaps even dominating the market
Boeing.
Microsoft.
Hemp Depot.
The new monopoly for funding Sound lifestyles begins.
Let’s say this happens, and somehow the feds leave it alone (two big ifs).
Where is marijuana going to be displayed in the stores? There’s limited floor space and it’s devoted to liquor now. So you want to reduce the selection of liquor? Force the state to find larger store locations? Reconfigure the stores so that the pot is behind the counter crammed into lots of little boxes like cigarettes in a convenience store?
I also wonder about whether it would create a magnet for people to rob stores and sell merchandise out of state.
I guess it just seems safer to me if the stuff is sold more widely, or liquor is allowed in stores so that there’s more room for marijuana on the shelves.
Funny. They say:
Yet in 2003 they called it a “dopey idea” that was a craven move towards greater legalization from out of state interests.
http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.c…
Nice to see a change of heart at the Times, and definitely a turning point in the discussion around here I think.
Cascadian @2,
So let me get this straight… the uptight establishment types at the Seattle Times come out in support of LEGALIZING MARIJUANA and you’re fretting the retail display?
Goldy, I’m buying my weed at Safeway or no deal!
If Marijuana consumption is legalized, then a concerted effort should be made to discourage smoking it. Otherwise, and new generation of Americans with lung disease will be created.
Finally a few more sane voices. If it takes the money side to pull them in, so be it. I won’t “fret” about the stores – it won’t be pretty but so what?
@6 – I’m no expert but I’ve heard about vaporizers for a much safer delivery system.
@2, maybe the liquor stores could just stop carrying wine and beer. Both wine and beer are carried in most grocery stores, and some of those keep a better selection in stock than the state storefronts do. That would free up at least some room.
@2, the places in amsterdam that went from being a bar to being a pot seller have had little trouble finding space. Space really isn’t a problem, as any weed dealer can show you by opening their “display” that amounts to a half gallon tupperware. What is a problem is that theres no distributorship. No packaging, no marketing, no middleman. The liquor board would have to expand to take a raw product and package it for retail. Not insurmountable, but much more of an issue than shelf space… think about the volume an eighth takes up compared to a fifth.
Thank you for noticing and pointing out a progressive editorial in the ST, instead of just bashing the stupid ones. I think that asshole Goldy relishes the bad editorials so he can sound off about them.
Will the state have to create a new law enforcement agency like the ATF to enforce these new laws and go after the millions of people that will continue to buy and grow in the gray market since the price will be the same? Sounds fishy why again do we want the state to control this? I hate that stores cant sell liquor in this state like most other states do…
@12 the price of weed will drop if there are lower cost alternatives to the black market (grey markets use legal channels). We already have jack booted thugs on staff to kick in the doors of pot growers and smokers who break the rules. Legalization won’t cause a huge wave of people introduced to weed at the state run stores to buy from the black market even if it’s cheaper because weed isn’t addictive.
@6: prove it. provide a study that shows one case of lung disease from cannabis alone, after thousands of years of use, prove it, or would you rather i show you studies that show cannabis decimating cancer cells, because i have that one, i just cannot find proof that cannabis causes cancer. either way, one should vaporize to avoid hydrocarbon inhalation, but its noi more dangerous than a campfire, or if it is, prove it, lol
Yes! It is about time folks started thinking this way. However, be aware that we will have a fight on our hands once it is legalized. Monsanto is already trying to grab up strains. Check this out. http://www.420magazine.com/forums/420-po…