News Nuggets (Washington)

Seattle Mayor Supports Legalization

Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn recently announced that he is calling for the legalization of cannabis. During his State of the City address, McGinn made the argument that the illegal status of marijuana heavily contributes to crime and fuels violent activity, saying that he’s “made enforcement of possession of marijuana for personal purposes our lowest enforcement priority.” McGinn continued, “But we’ve learned in the past year that with the federal War on Drugs still intact, and with our kids getting gunned down on the streets, we need to do more.” He called for big changes in cannabis laws and the creation of “sensible” pot policies. The mayor and the City Council have been supportive of medical marijuana in general and have worked to ensure that patients have access to dispensaries. McGinn’s comments were part of a growing chorus of calls for legalization in other states where federal officials are cracking down on certain dispensaries.

Spokamsterdam is Now in Session

The University of Spokamsterdam, a new school in Spokane, is teaching students how to grow marijuana, according to the Medical Marijuana Business Daily. When the school first opened, it initially focused on helping dispensary owners, medical marijuana entrepreneurs and patients comply with the state’s medical marijuana regulations, but it appears that Spokamsterdam has changed gears. Given the federal crackdown on the industry and the closures of dispensaries, many patients have been left without any means to purchasing their medicine. Spokamsterdam recently decided to create classes that will help patients learn how to grow their own medical cannabis, and about two dozen people have already signed up.

State’s medical cannabis law is ambiguous, some say

The manner in which municipal and county officials handle medical marijuana is far from consistent, according to a report in The Olympian. For example, Thurston County prosecutors are weighing cases against four cannabis providers—and have already charged one Olympia collective. The City of Lacey is attempting to shut down cannabis groups that are complying with state law—going so far as to send cease-and-desist letters to two collectives. Olympia city officials, however, have not taken action to close or sanction collectives, though they have revoked and denied business licenses.

Last year, legislators passed a bill to legalize dispensaries, but Gov. Chris Gregoire vetoed it, citing conflicts with federal law. As a result, buying and selling marijuana remains illegal.

“We need the state to clarify the issue,” Olympia Mayor Stephen Buxbaum told The Olympian. “The city is challenged by the ambiguities that are inherent in the state law.”