Pubdate: Wed, 20 Jan 2016 Source: Seattle Times (WA) Copyright: 2016 The Seattle Times Company Contact: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/409 Author: Jessica Lee CITY OFFICIALS BACK BILL TO TEST POT-DELIVERY SERVICES Seattle Mayor Ed Murray and City Attorney Pete Holmes on Tuesday announced their support for legislation to create a program to test legal pot-delivery services. State legislators are mulling a proposal to establish a two-year pilot program that would allow five licensed recreational marijuana stores in the state to deliver marijuana to Washington residents over the age of 21. "Creating an equivalent legal form of delivery will provide a safe alternative for adults to use, while helping prevent those under 21 from acquiring marijuana," says a city-sponsored bulletin. Regulators estimate the number of illegal delivery services in Seattle alone has grown to 24, most through websites such as Leafly, Craigslist and Weedmaps, according to a city news release. Seattle has 19 legal recreational-pot stores. Murray and Holmes say current illegal delivery services in Seattle are undermining Initiative 502, the 2012 voter-approved measure allowing recreational-marijuana use, the news release says. Seattle police and the city Department of Finance and Administrative Services are increasing their enforcement of laws that bar such delivery services, according to the release. Penalties range from civil infractions to felony charges, based on circumstance. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom