cannabisnews.com: Mary Jane Goes To Olympia function share_this(num) { tit=encodeURIComponent('Mary Jane Goes To Olympia'); url=encodeURIComponent('http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/25/thread25320.shtml'); site = new Array(5); site[0]='http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u='+url+'&title='+tit; site[1]='http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit.php?url='+url+'&title='+tit; site[2]='http://digg.com/submit?topic=political_opinion&media=video&url='+url+'&title='+tit; site[3]='http://reddit.com/submit?url='+url+'&title='+tit; site[4]='http://del.icio.us/post?v=4&noui&jump=close&url='+url+'&title='+tit; window.open(site[num],'sharer','toolbar=0,status=0,width=620,height=500'); return false; } Mary Jane Goes To Olympia Posted by CN Staff on January 13, 2010 at 19:36:35 PT By Lillian Tucker Source: Seattle Times Olympia, WA -- There was nothing dull about the Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness public hearing today, as those in ties and those in tie-dye came together for a discussion about pot.HB 1177 seeks to reduce adult possession of 40 grams or less of marijuana to a Class 2 civil infraction that carries $100 penalty, instead of possible jail time. HB 2401 would legalize adult marijuana use. Pot would essentially be treated as booze, sold in liquor stores and regulated by the Liquor Control Board. There would be a 15 percent tax on each gram of pot sold.With either bill, money collected would primarily be used for substance-abuse treatment and prevention programs. Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson, D-Seattle, a sponsor of both bills, estimated that permit fees, taxes and other revenue from legalized marijuana could bring in more than $300 million per biennium."We see the states as laboratories of change," said Dickerson. "In these days of billions of dollars of deficit we can no longer keep our head in the sand.""This is not about fighting for your right to party," said Rep. Dave Upthegrove, D-Des Moines, who is also sponsoring both bills.At a news conference earlier today, both Gov. Chris Gregoire and Don Pierce, executive director of the Washington Association of Sheriffs & Police Chiefs, disputed the idea that these bills would be money-savers, adding that a very small percentage of inmates are in prison for simple possession of marijuana. Most have also been charged with more serious crimes."We just don't believe that we should walk away from laws just because they are hard. We do things for the right reasons, and we don't need our schools, our highways, our factories, our airplane cockpits full of people who are high on marijuana," said Pierce, who later was among the minority to testify against the bills.Later, at the hearing, Pierce said he is also concerned that legalizing marijuana would send a message to kids that it is okay to use it.Dr. Gil Mobley, who said in an interview that he plans to open a medical-marijuana clinic in downtown Seattle, testified against the claim that marijuana is highly addictive."It is no more addictive than your favorite TV show, sex with your wife or playing with your dog." Mobley has been practicing medicine in Springfield, Mo.The Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Committee is set to vote on the issue next Wednesday at 1:30 p.m.Source: Seattle Times (WA)Author: Lillian TuckerPublished: January 13, 2010Copyright: 2010 The Seattle Times CompanyContact: opinion seatimes.comWebsite: http://www.seattletimes.com/URL: http://drugsense.org/url/dUdL7wx1CannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #6 posted by BGreen on January 14, 2010 at 10:03:59 PT Well, I'll be danged, Dr. Gil Mobley He runs (ran?) an urgent care clinic in Springfield, MO. I've seen TV ads with his name. That has NOT been reported on in this area. Dr. Mobley would probably be harassed if it were.(Two seconds later) Well, I just saw a teaser for the noon news and, voila, there is Dr. Mobley talking about opening a MMJ clinic.WOW! We'll see how that goes over.The Reverend Bud Green [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by runruff on January 14, 2010 at 06:20:12 PT Con-stable ""We don't need our schools, our highways, our factories, our airplane cockpits full of people who are high on marijuana."We don't need some GED graduated cop telling me what I need!OK, AA, big deal!Anyone who wants to "fly High" "drive high" does so already. It may actually surprised this cop to know that no one is waiting for his permission.That fact that he cannot tell the difference is more telling about him than his so called fears!Our kids will someday reminisce about grandpa's olden days when we still had something called the now extinct, coposaurus-vindictus. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by Had Enough on January 14, 2010 at 04:30:02 PT Prohibition...Stick a fork in it... “”"We just don't believe that we should walk away from laws just because they are hard. We do things for the right reasons, and we don't need our schools, our highways, our factories, our airplane cockpits full of people who are high on marijuana," said Pierce, who later was among the minority to testify against the bills.””You see that word ‘minority’ used to describe the amount of opposition.It’s happening, the tide is turning...just as we have been waiting for and have discussed here for years.It’s slowly, really really slowly, becoming political suicide to be anti-cannabis, but still not fast paced enough.The heat needs to be turned up to finish cooking off these turkeys.************Byrds - "Turn Turn Turn"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNopQq5lWqQ [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by Paint with light on January 14, 2010 at 00:59:15 PT Czechs' new law http://praguemonitor.com/2009/12/15/possession-15-grammes-marijuana-be-legal-new-yearInteresting......very interesting.Legal like alcohol. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Paint with light on January 13, 2010 at 22:34:50 PT The wrong message to kids The prohibs send the message to kids that heroin is as safe as cannabis and methamphetamine is safer.That is the wrong message.Legal like alcohol. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Universer on January 13, 2010 at 20:22:49 PT Bump, Set, Spike! The doc says..."It is no more addictive than your favorite TV show, sex with your wife or playing with your dog."The cop says..."We don't need our schools, our highways, our factories, our airplane cockpits full of people who are high on marijuana."It's just too easy.Have at you! [ Post Comment ] Post Comment