Marijuana Blog

John McKay, a former U.S. attorney in Seattle and supporter of Washington's successful marijuana legalization initiative, has asked California to reconsider its "No" vote on the issue in 2010.

 

Invited by the San Francisco Chronicle, McKay laid out his arguments in an oped column last week, "Marijuana legalization a state issue."

 

The arguments are familiar to us in Washington state, but he suggests there's an opportunity for more states to push back against outdated federal law. A group of federal lawmakers are asking the Department of Justice to respect the recent votes in Washington and Colorado, which also approved a measure legalizing the recreational use of marijuana, and a bill to that effect is expected to be introduced.

 

But Washington and Colorado need some allies.

 

McKay invites California to reconsider their 2010 decision:

 

The new marijuana laws in Washington and Colorado may point the way to achieving real change in California, too - and across America. Bringing the production and sale of marijuana under tight regulatory control and capturing the tax revenues will directly challenge the deadly dominance of the drug cartels and gangs.

 

It is now clear the states will lead the way to ending marijuana prohibition in the United States. California should be in the vanguard. Will it?

 

Source: http://seattletimes.com

On Friday, Congresswoman Diana DeGette's office announced the introduction of the Respect States' and Citizens' Rights Act, a bill intended to ensure that federal marijuana laws don't exempt the Colorado voter-approved Amendment 64 and a similar measure in Washington state. DeGette's also signed a letter with seventeen fellow legislators asking the Justice Department to respect pot laws in the two states. See the letter and get more details below.

 

Co-sponsors of the DeGette measure include Oregon's Earl Blumenauer, Tennessee's Steve Cohen and California's Sam Farr, as well as two colleagues from Colorado -- Jared Polis, a longtime supporter of marijuana reform, and, more surprisingly, Mike Coffman, a Republican who opposed the passage of Amendment 64.

 

Mike Coffman.

"I voted against Amendment 64," he confirmed in a statement, "and I strongly oppose the legalization of marijuana, but I also have an obligation to respect the will of the voters given the passage of this initiative, and so I feel obligated to support this legislation."

 

Read more: http://blogs.westword.com