Recently signatures were turned in to the office of the Secretary of State by New Approach Washington to qualify Initiative 502 to legalize, tax, and regulate marijuana for adults 21 and over under Washington state law.

Passage of Initiative 502 would put our Washington ahead of that other Washington's ongoing criminal prohibition of marijuana, raising concerns among some. As a former U.S. representative and long-time meddler, I must share that I have seldom seen major shifts in federal law touching on sensitive social issues that didn't initiate at the state level.

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