Pubdate: Mon, 24 Feb 2014
Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock, AR)
Copyright: 2014 The Associated Press
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Author: Ken Thomas and Steve Peoples, the Associated Press

GOVERNORS IN NO RUSH TO LEGALIZE MARIJUANA

WASHINGTON (AP) - All the buzz at the National Governors Association 
meeting about legalizing marijuana, some say, is just smoke.

Nearly three months after Colorado began selling recreational 
marijuana, the nation's governors are taking a cautious approach to 
loosening their drug laws despite growing support for legalization.

Republican and Democratic governors meeting in Washington over the 
weekend expressed broad concern for children and public safety if 
recreational marijuana use spread. At the same time, Colorado Gov. 
John Hickenlooper warned other governors against rushing to follow his lead.

He said he's spoken to "half a dozen" governors with questions about 
his state's experience, including some who "felt this was a wave" 
headed to their states.

"When governors have asked me, and several have, I say that we don't 
have the facts. We don't know what the unintended consequences are 
going to be," Hickenlooper said. "I urge caution."

The Democrat continued: "I say, if it was me, I'd wait a couple of years."

States are watching closely as Colorado and Washington establish 
themselves as national pioneers after becoming the first states to 
approve recreational marijuana use in 2012. A group is close to 
getting a measure on Alaska's ballots that could make it the third 
state to legalize the drug.

Colorado on Jan. 1 became the first to allow legal retail sales of 
recreational marijuana, and Washington is expected to allow sales soon.

Hickenlooper confirmed that early tax-revenue collections on Colorado 
marijuana sales have exceeded projections but cautioned that tax 
revenue "is absolutely the wrong reason to even think about 
legalizing recreational marijuana."

Medical marijuana, meanwhile, is legal in 20 states and the District 
of Columbia. Florida voters in November will decide on a proposed 
constitutional amendment to allow medical marijuana.

President Barack Obama's administration has given states the green 
light to experiment with marijuana regulation.

Obama recently generated headlines when he said in an interview that 
he didn't think marijuana was more dangerous than alcohol "in terms 
of its impact on the individual consumer." He said smoking marijuana 
is "not something I encourage, and I've told my daughters I think 
it's a bad idea, a waste of time, not very healthy."

Recent polling suggests that a majority of Americans support efforts 
to legalize the drug. The issue cuts across party lines as liberals 
and libertarian-minded Republicans favor the shift.

But governors gathered in Washington took a more cautious approach.

"I just had a long-standing belief that legalizing marijuana would 
not be in the interest of our youth or our people," said Indiana Gov. 
Mike Pence, a Republican. "And I'll maintain my position in 
opposition to legalization as long as I'm governor."

New Hampshire Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan said she's opposed to 
legalization because her state already struggles with high rates of 
youth substance abuse. But she called for a "comprehensive look at 
our criminal laws and sentencing practices."

"I don't think we should be sending young people to jail or have a 
criminal record for a first offense," she said.

Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, a Republican, called legalization "bad 
public policy" with unintended consequences.

"It's a segue drug that I think ends up creating a lot more problems 
than it solves," Branstad said.

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley said that in a few years other states 
would know "whether Colorado was able to reduce harm without creating 
other adverse impacts unforeseen."

But the Democrat noted that in Maryland, many job opportunities for 
young people come from federal agencies or firms with federal 
contracts that require employees to pass drug tests.

"I don't believe for economic and opportunity reasons that this is an 
issue where Maryland should serve as that laboratory of democracy," he said.

The Justice Department said last year that it would largely steer 
clear of marijuana businesses legal at the state level as long as 
they follow a series of strict guidelines. A department memorandum 
did not give carte blanche to would-be marijuana entrepreneurs, but 
the legal marijuana market viewed the department's position as encouraging.

Earlier this month, the Obama administration provided banks with 
guidance about how to do business with marijuana firms, aiming to 
make banks feel more comfortable working with businesses that are 
licensed and regulated.

Meanwhile, Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, said 
implementation of his state's decision to legalize the sale of 
recreational marijuana was succeeding. He also offered some advice to 
his fellow governors.

"I would encourage them to follow their state's will," he said. "Our 
will was to de-criminalize this product. And so far, it's working well."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom