I grew up on Bainbridge and this kind of stuff never stopped the cops from messing with anyone they want. The BI police has a long history of finding creative ways to bust people they identify as bad. The property values are high there which puts a lot of money and pressure on the local government to provide a seemingly clean and safe place to raise kids.

The police will arrest and prosecute anything they catch someone with. I got two tickets for tobacco use as a 17 year old. It is the kind of place where if the cops drive down the street and see you smoking a cigarette they WILL get out of the car and confront you. They will also use the tobacco as a reason to try and search you for pot.

I listened to the Bainbridge Island PD and city council discuss this at their last meeting and this article is a very different tone. Interestingly, one of the council members shared a conversation he had with a local officer who told him the real value of having the ability to prosecute small marijuana possession cases was in using them as barging chips for information with someone caught with a bud in there pocket. This is more about scaring folks with the threat of prosecution then a real intent to prosecute. Should of heard the back peddling that followed. Council meetings public and recordings can be accessed from the city web site. This discussion took place on March 3 and refers to Ordinance No. 2010-05.

Packeteer @1 is right -- a cigarette will get you searched on BI if you look under 18.

Tape the weed to your face while driving through Bainbridge.

Never ceases to amaze me the stupid shit that goes on in prosecutors' heads.

"“It’s a simple fix,” said Weiss, an officer who specializes in drug cases. “But right now on Bainbridge you can’t be charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession." ..."

Possession of marijuana is a violation of state law. Police arrest and charge people for violations of state law everywhere in the state. Bainbridge Island doesn't have an ordinance prohibiting murder. Of course, this doesn't mean that one cannot be charged with murder on Bainbridge Island. If the police want to charge someone with misdemeanor marijuana, they just file it in district rather than municipal court. This must be a revenue issue: the county gets the fines in district court, the City of Bainbridge Island gets the fines in municipal court.

Likewise, the fact that Peter Holmes won't charge marijuana offenses doesn't stop the police from arresting and charging the crime in district court.