cannabisnews.com: Is I-75 Just Blowing Smoke?





Is I-75 Just Blowing Smoke?
Posted by CN Staff on September 17, 2003 at 22:48:24 PT
By Elaine Porterfield, Seattle P-I Reporter
Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer 
Seattle voters had spoken, and their message seemed simple enough: Leave pot smokers alone. But what does it all mean? With Initiative 75 certain to pass (by yesterday, it had 59 percent of the vote counted so far) is it now legal to smoke pot in Seattle?Can you still be prosecuted? And what about marijuana for medical purposes? To help make sense of it all, we took these questions -- and more -- to the Seattle Police Department and Tom Carr, the city attorney.
Question: When does the initiative go into effect?Answer: It will kick in almost immediately after election results are certified Sept. 26.Q: Will it then be legal to possess or use pot in Seattle?A: Carr and the Seattle police say "no." State and federal drug laws make it clear that possession and use of marijuana is against the law. And it's up to local police and prosecutors to enforce drug laws."If someone is arrested and marijuana is in their pocket, they will be charged," Carr says. "We've not legalized marijuana in Seattle and we can't." His advice?"If you're going to get arrested for civil disobedience, try not to have marijuana in your pocket."Adds Duane Fish, a police spokesman: "We don't want people to think it's been decriminalized. It is still a crime."Q: So what the does the initiative actually do?A: It requires that police and prosecutors treat possession of small amounts of marijuana as their lowest priority.And the message, Fish says, is more symbolic than substantive.As it stands now, Seattle police already place a pretty low emphasis on possession of small amounts of marijuana, and they'll continue down that path, he says. Adds Carr: "There won't be much difference than what we're doing today. We don't arrest and prosecute a lot of people for marijuana. Honestly, we're not going to increase our arrest rate."Q: What about people who sell marijuana or push their product on children? Does this mean police will look the other way?A: No. The measure only applies to small amounts of marijuana intended for personal use -- by adults.Q: What's a small amount of pot?A: Forty grams, enough to roll 50 or 60 cigarettes.Q: Say I'm arrested and charged with possessing a small amount of pot. What kind of penalty am I looking at?A: The maximum penalty, says Carr, is 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. First-time offenders likely face at least one day in jail and a $250 fine. Bear in mind, Carr says, that criminal sentences are determined by criminal history.Q: Will the police come looking for me if I smoke some pot?A: In most cases, no. Arresting people for using marijuana is already a low priority for police. Snipped: Complete Article: http://www.freedomtoexhale.com/pot75.htmSource: Seattle Post-Intelligencer (WA)Author:  Elaine Porterfield, Seattle P-I ReporterPublished: Thursday, September 18, 2003Copyright: 2003 Seattle Post-IntelligencerContact: editpage seattle-pi.comWebsite: http://www.seattle-pi.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Sensible Seattle Coalition http://www.sensibleseattle.org/Czar Wars: White House Lectures Seattle on Pothttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17342.shtmlSeattle Voters Favor Measure on Marijuana http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17332.shtmlSeattle Votes To Make Marijuana Low Priorityhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17340.shtmlSeattle Voters Favor Measure on Marijuana http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17332.shtml 
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Comment #3 posted by goneposthole on September 18, 2003 at 08:01:46 PT
What else is new?
You know how they lie all of the time."Bring out your dead." "Bring out your dead." Alive 'dead man', "but, I'm not dead." "Yes you are." From Monty Pythons 
'In Search of The Holy Grail'
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Comment #2 posted by E_Johnson on September 18, 2003 at 07:54:58 PT
I agree, it is a huge step
The thing that makes this so huge is that the Bush administration has been pushing the idea that marijuana ought to be the highest priority of law enforcement, and clearly Seattle residents disagree, and not just the Democrats.This is like Prop 215, where victory has come about through a combination of liberal and conservative support.Many pro-law enforcement Democrats probably voted against it, so a healthy amount of Republicans had to vote for it.They must be stewing in the White House. They thought Nevada and Arizona meant a lot more than they did. Hahahaha.
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Comment #1 posted by BGreen on September 18, 2003 at 00:15:15 PT
This Is Really a HUGE STEP For Re-Legalization
regardless of the "don't give a sh*& what the voters want" attitude of the megalomaniacal law enforcement and politicians and all their hyperbole.This was a BIG F*&^ YOU to john PEE walters and every evil bastard that would cage humans for a GOD-GIVEN PLANT!It's obvious, just as others have posted, that the police were LYING when they told us to "change the laws if you don't agree with them." "That's the way the system works," they lied.I-75 will empower the cannabis users throughout this country to continue the fight. Billions of dollars worth of propaganda can't defeat the TRUTH!Our message has remained the same during my 28 years in service to the re-legalization cause. The government has created LIE after LIE after LIE and the fabrications are getting even more unbelievable.California, Hawaii, Seattle, Alaska, and Canada are all current examples of the BLATANT ABHORRENCE politicians and law enforcement whores have for the LAW and the CITIZENS they are supposed to represent.Now, tell me again how all of this doesn't really mean anything for our cause, you lying scumbags. This time take your time and try to come up with a halfway BELIEVABLE story.Sorry to my CNews friends for the yelling.The Reverend Bud Green
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