Pubdate: Thu, 29 Mar 2012
Source: Yakima Herald-Republic (WA)
Copyright: 2012 Yakima Herald-Republic
Contact:  http://www.yakima-herald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/511
Author: Mike Faulk

I-502 ADVOCATES SUPPORT 'LOCAL SOLUTION' FOR DEALING WITH MARIJUANA PROHIBITION

YAKIMA, Wash. - When George Rohrbacher talks about marijuana 
prohibition, his biggest concern isn't the merits of the drug, but a 
statistic he likes to call "the butcher's bill."

The numbers add up to about 26 million over the last 40 years. They 
don't represent the costs of enforcement, but the number of people 
who have been arrested for using pot.

"Even today, in the year 2012, we will arrest another 850,000 
Americans for pot," said Rohrbacher, a former state lawmaker, before 
a crowd of about 150 people at the Capitol Theatre on Wednesday 
night. "This is a national disgrace with a local solution."

Rohrbacher and former Seattle police chief Norm Stamper shared the 
stage and statistics supporting Initiative 502, which calls for the 
state to regulate and sell marijuana for recreational use to adults. 
The measure would also impose a 25 percent excise tax.

"Marijuana is dangerous, but only if you get arrested for it," 
Rohrbacher said to laughter and applause from the audience.

Stamper, a spokesman for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, 
compared the current laws to alcohol prohibition, and the black 
market and associated violence that sprang up as a result.

"Marijuana prohibition causes crime," Stamper said. "It causes 
violence and it causes deaths."

The heart of the matter for voters should be whether the impact of 
enforcement of laws against marijuana matches the hypothetical 
consequences of legalizing its use, said Stamper, who served as 
Seattle police chief from 1994 to 2000.

Rohrbacher, a Klickitat County farmer who was an appointed Republican 
senator from the 17th District in Clark County during the late 1980s.

Under the initiative, residents 21 years and older could buy up to an 
ounce of dried marijuana; one pound of marijuana-infused product in 
solid form, such as brownies; or 72 ounces of marijuana-infused liquids.

Washington state already has a voter-approved medical marijuana law 
that gives doctors the right to recommend -- but not prescribe -- 
marijuana for people suffering from cancer and other conditions that 
cause "intractable pain."

"Last year there were 1,000 deaths in the U.S. from gastric bleeding 
caused by aspirin," Rohrbacher said. "Do you know how many deaths in 
this country last year were caused by marijuana?

"Zero."

Stamper said legalization doesn't open the doors to the public's use 
of marijuana when in fact the substance is already available widely 
on the black market. He said it would be more difficult for minors to 
access marijuana if it were legalized and regulated, rather than 
obtained clandestinely from drug dealers.

Also on stage were Alison Holcomb, the director of Initiative 502 
sponsor New Approach Washington, and local criminal defense attorney 
Alex Newhouse.

Holcomb said the federal government has shown that it may not always 
challenge states' marijuana reform laws, such as for medicinal 
purposes, but it will never spearhead efforts to legalize marijuana. 
That's up to the states, she said.

"This is an issue where the federal government will not take 
leadership," Holcomb said. "The states have to take leadership."

A recent analysis by the state Office of Financial Management 
estimated that I-502 could raise at least $560 million a year in new 
taxes. However, the analysis noted that revenues would be "adversely 
impacted" if federal authorities cracked down on the state, as they 
threatened to do when California voters were considering legalizing 
the drug in 2010. Marijuana is illegal under federal law.

While a number of former and current law enforcement officials have 
announced their support for I-502, there remain plenty of detractors 
from the same community, including Yakima County Sheriff Ken Irwin.

"I understand there's a large group of people who enjoy the effects 
of marijuana or think it should be available for medical reasons," 
Irwin said in an interview prior to Wednesday night's event. "But I 
oppose society opening the door further to substances that will 
inebriate people."

Irwin could not cite numbers, but said he believes the amount of 
police resources going toward enforcement of marijuana laws is 
already minimal. He said the biggest expenses go toward busting major 
operations, such as outdoor marijuana grows.

"I think the efforts are very reasonable," Irwin said.

Some backers of Democratic gubernatorial candidates Jay Inslee hope 
the initiative will give the former congressman a boost at the polls 
in November by bringing out younger liberal voters in support of the 
measure, although an Inslee campaign spokeswoman has said he will 
vote against it.

His chief Republican rival in the race, Attorney General Rob McKenna, 
also opposes the measure.

* Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom