We're terrified of grocery stores selling liquor but we're totally cool with pot? What kind of magical place is this?

Dickerson expects the bill will pass

Riiiiiiight. Yea, so, as unpopular this Legislature is going to be after this budget, they're going to pass this?

How do you regulate and tax a plant grown in basements and garages?

Dream on stoner.

Good news, regardless of outcome. Co-sponsors of this bill? People should be making calls to make it pass comittee so it at least gets a hearing so that we can sign up to testify. People on the blogs know how to whine, but ask em to make a wee call to Olympia and they are nowhere to be found.

How to regulate and tax a plant grown in basement and garages? Easy. Sell cannabis in liquor stores and limit home grows to 25 sq. feet. Anything bigger than that and you'll pay taxes in the form of a fine. Maybe even a bigger fine than if you had just gone to the liquor store and bought it legitimately. It's not as much of a pipe dream as some may think. Go Mary Lou!

@3: the overwhelming majority of pot smokers today purchase their cannabis despite the fact that it's incredibly expensive and more risky than growing their own. Why would you expect to see that change if prohibition ends? There is no historical precedent for that type of change. The number of people who make their own beer, wine or other spirits doesn't even make a fraction of a percent of overall consumers.

That's fucking awesome, and no, it's not too much too soon for Washington state.

Our conservatives have more libertarian in their DNA than the ones down in California, and we're generally pretty eccentric up here in our little corner of the country.

Dickerson expects the bill will pass because polling this year showed 54 percent support to legalize marijuana in Washington, she says.

Even if 60 percent or more of Washingtonians supported legalization, it doesn't mean the legislature is going to agree with them and pass Dickerson's bill. Still, I suppose it could happen and better to see support over 50 percent than under.

Why would I ever go to a liquor store to buy marijuana if I can have a 25 sq ft grow area in my home?

If I can grow 4 decent sized plants in that kind of space, why would 25 to 30 of my closest friends ever go to the liquor store, when they could get their supply from me cheaper than what the state will charge?

Uhh. I could grow all the herbs I want in my yard, but still end up at the grocery store. Mostly because I'm not much of a farmer.

@6: How is growing your own stash less expensive and more risky than making a phone call and handing over $40 once every few weeks?

Why would I ever go to a liquor store to buy marijuana if I can have a 25 sq ft grow area in my home?

People can get tap water for free and with no effort yet they spend money to buy water in bottles.

@9 I bet some hill-billy hippie in Onalaska said the same thing about moonshine when the prohibition of alcohol ended.

@9 - Have you ever grown, cared for, and harvested your own pot plants? Doing it right is practically a full-time job. And that's when everything is going right; wait until you have an emergency issue, like a fungus or insect infestation (yes, an insect infestation in your basement - it happens), and see how much of your time that kills.

If you're up for it, more power to you, but it's not as simple as keeping a ficus alive.

Many years ago I made my own beer. But it was a lot of work, not as good as what I could buy, with little choice on taste and little control over its quality. Now I have a beer or two every day ... all store bought, more expensive, and taxed. I think cannabis will go that same route..... not at first, and not by everybody, but it will be the trend.

i doubt it will happen (legislatures tend to be years (if not decades) behind the populace). that said, any and all positive momentum towards sanity on drug policy is much appreciated. big ups to mary lou.

Don't forget that it's probable (?) we'll see another attempt at an initiative this coming year as well.

@17: which is a stupid move. The folks who actually study this stuff (Marijuana Policy Project) have looked at every marijuana initiative that has been on the ballot over the last 20 years or so. There is a direct correlation between how well the initiatives do and size of voter turnout.

Simply put: the higher the turnout (pardon the pun) the better the initiatives fare and vice versa. If prop 19 had been on the 2008 ballot it probably would've won. Running in total off-year election is the worst possible scenario...you lose pretty much an automatic 5% of your votes. If the Washington folks are even half strategic, they'll wait to see what happens in the leg and then shoot for 2012. If they go for 2011, they really are clueless.

@11: dude, your reading skills suck.

I was arguing that under prohibition it is actually more expensive and risky to purchase your product than to have a small grow. And yet, the overwhelming majority (I'll bet over 99%) of folks still buy their product. After prohibition ends the product price will fall enough that growing your own will probably become more expensive than buying and there will be no risk in buying.

The idea that after prohibition even 10% of stoners are going to grow their own is simply laughable.

Go to the Netherlands or Portugal. The only people that are growing are those that are in it for business. Nobody grows their own. They fucking buy it because it's easier all the way around.

dude! skull bong!

uh, what were we talking about?

Mary Lou just earned herself a donor and campaign volunteer.

Awesome. The most dangerous thing about marijuana is what happens to you if you get busted for smoking/eating/posessing it.

Way to go, Mary Lou! I believe legalization is totally possible, now!

What a great woman! I don't live in Washington, but I can send her some money. I don't smoke pot, never have, but even I can see that it's stupid not to legalize/regulate/tax it. I hope she suceeds. Whatever happens, if she ever runs for president, she has my vote.