Pubdate: Wed, 21 Nov 2012
Source: Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader, The (WA)
Copyright: 2012 Port Townsend Publishing Co., Inc.
Contact:  http://ptleader.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/5314
Author: Fred Obee

TAKE A SOBER LOOK AT LEGAL POT

It feels pretty unbelievable, really. On Dec. 6, it will be legal for
people older than 21 to possess an ounce of marijuana in Washington
state. It most likely will take several years to come to completion,
but it appears the ball is now rolling toward a nationwide lift of our
marijuana prohibition.

The good news is this should put a serious dent in the businesses of
weed-peddling Al Capones and ultimately add dollars to state coffers.
We can definitely use the money.

But before you fire up the microbus and plug in a Grateful Dead tape,
it would pay to take a sober look at the issues surrounding
legalization.

The big issue, of course, is that the federal government and most
states still consider marijuana to be an illegal substance, so it
would be unwise to be in possession of marijuana where federal agents
might be hanging around. Airports and international border crossings
come to mind. Even a trip to Idaho or Oregon could be problematic if
you bring your legal Washington pot along.

It's also a good idea to consider that the use of marijuana will be
regulated in a way very similar to rules regarding alcohol use. So if
drinking isn't allowed in a particular venue, you can pretty much
assume marijuana is not appropriate, either. You can't smoke and
drive, and you can't consume it in public. "It is unlawful to open a
package containing marijuana ... in view of the general public,"
states the law.

Driving under the influence, of course, is still illegal, and those
younger than 21 are prohibited from use or possession, just like
alcohol, and penalties will be similar.

Workplace rules are another area where pot smokers might stumble. Most
workplaces say you can't be intoxicated at work, and it's unclear just
how a person might be tested for intoxication. The active ingredient
in marijuana stays in your system longer than alcohol, so a blood test
may come out positive long after the effects of the drug have
dissipated. If you test positive, will that be grounds for dismissal
from your job? Right now, no one really knows.

And many government agencies, police forces, transit departments and
construction trades have drug-free workplace rules. At least until
those requirements are revisited and revised, the rules remain in force.

The Washington State Liquor Control Board has until Dec. 1, 2013 to
finalize rules for the sale and distribution of marijuana. Until then,
growing and selling marijuana remain illegal.

The passage of Initiative 502 hasn't completely cleared the air on
just what will be tolerated when it comes to the use of marijuana, but
it is a big step.

I'm not an advocate of everyone adopting a stoner lifestyle, but
tolerance is something I can live with. When I was in my early teens
growing up in a small Ohio town, I remember a high school boy who was
the first in our town to be arrested for marijuana possession. The
shame was so great, his college-professor father was forced to quit
his faculty job and the family left town.

And there are lots of people who spent time in jail for simple
possession of marijuana who never really belonged there. That we've
gotten beyond these overreactions is a good thing.

Fred Obee
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MAP posted-by: Matt