I’ve just returned to my home in Washington, D.C. from a trip to the “other Washington” — specifically, Seattle. My two visits to Seattle in the past month have convinced me that Washington state will probably be one of the first two states to tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol.
In mid-August, I attended Seattle’s Hempfest for the sixth time in seven years. For those who don’t know, Hempfest isn’t your run-of-the-mill marijuana rally. In fact, if it were, I wouldn’t attend. This year’s Hempfest, which was the 19th in 20 years, was the largest yet, with an estimated 300,000 people visiting Myrtle Edwards Park on the waterfront over two days. Each year, Seattle Hempfest is literally the largest marijuana-related event in the world.
And bigger is better; there’s safety in numbers. For two days each August, using, possessing, and transferring marijuana for no remuneration (passing a joint) is legal in the park. For a few years, this policy was an informal understanding between the Seattle police and the 100,000+ people they were serving and protecting. But, in recent years, the higher-ups in the police department have actually directed their rank-and-file not to arrest people at Hempfest for marijuana (unless someone is selling it or pushing it on children).
What events preceded this normalization of marijuana?
In 1998, 59% of Washington state voters passed a medical marijuana initiative; then, in 2007, the Washington legislature instructed the state Department of Health to define a 60-day supply of medical marijuana. In 2008, the Department of Health defined a 60-day supply as up to 24 ounces of usable marijuana and 15 plants at any stage of growth.
On a separate track, in 2003, 59% of Seattle voters passed a local initiative to make marijuana possession the lowest arrest priority for local police. After that, the number of arrests within city limits plummeted, and, in January of this year, the city attorney for Seattle announced that his office would no longer prosecute people for marijuana possession.
Seattle Hempfest both led to — and benefited from — the local 2003 initiative victory, for which my organization, the Marijuana Policy Project, provided substantial funding. For two days each year, Hempfest attendees see what it’s like for the public use of marijuana to be legal: There’s no violence (alcohol is prohibited during the event), and there’s good company and music and speeches. And the police see the same thing — especially the no-violence part.
The police and non-police leave with these observations and tell their friends and colleagues. Over the course of the last two decades, perhaps 1.5 million people — most of whom live in Washington — have witnessed this phenomenon. Quite simply, Hempfest has changed the local culture around marijuana. So it’s no wonder that the 2003 initiative passed, which then led to a more formal policy change with respect to marijuana arrests at Hempfest … and then the whole city year-round.
And now, support for making marijuana legal has broken the 50% threshold in the state. The three most recent statewide polls show that 56% of adults support “making marijuana possession legal” (January 2010), 54% of adults support “allow[ing] state-run liquor stores to sell and tax marijuana” (January 2010), and 52% of registered voters support “removing state civil and criminal penalties for possession or use of marijuana” (May 2010).
The 52% figure is probably the most accurate, because it’s important to survey registered voters — as opposed to all adults — when you’re thinking about supporting a statewide initiative, as MPP is considering doing in Washington state for the November 2012 ballot.
Because there are many supportive young people and independent voters who vote only in presidential elections, it’s vitally important to place difficult-to-pass marijuana initiatives on presidential-election ballots. Indeed, MPP’s initiatives have passed by surprisingly large margins in Massachusetts, Michigan, and Montana during presidential elections, while both of our initiatives in Nevada lost during midterm elections.
If we can agree on an initiative that’s drafted to appeal to swing voters (meaning it can’t be too radical) and it’s placed on the November 2012 ballot, I predict that marijuana will be made legal in Washington state in just 26 months.
And this would be a particularly sweet victory, since Gil Kerlikowske, the White House drug czar, is the former police chief of … Seattle.
Thanks for the update Rob. It’s good to hear about the status of efforts outside of Prop 19. I’m a little worried for California in 2010 — there is still a ton of misinformation and unthinking opposition I’m seeing — but I have a very hard time believing we won’t have alcohol-style legalization of cannabis is at least one state by the end of the 2012 elections. After that, it’s just a matter of time before the entire wall of lies crumbles down.
I saw Kerlikowske in an article recently, something to do with the ONDCP; lying through his teeth as usual. It would be sweet if his home state t&r cannabis. If california doesn’t do it this year I hope washington can.
Rob Kampia I demand you show financial support for Prop 19. I want to see MPP make a SIGNIFICANT financial contribution to the campaign to legally tax and regulate Cannabis in California.
Unless MPP donates money to help Richard Lee win this fight, I am going to boycott all future gifts to MPP.
Cannactivism, I demand that you show significant financial support for MPP so they can contribute more to Prop 19.
Unless you (and others) donate more to MPP, they will not be able to donate more to Richard Lee.
@Cannactivism… mpp isnt exactly a multi-million dollar company that can shell out crazy money at will…
I would like to see them set up a site specifically dedicated to prop 19 where pros and cons(most of which are pros) are listed and rebuttals for all arguments are listed and where people could submit funds to help prop 19… <<< that is what i would expect from mpp… build the webpage, advertise it for free on mpp.org, let social media and the users take care of the rest
In addition to Just Legalize It / #5′s idea for a pro/con discussion site, how about a “Click Here to Register To Vote” button that links to the CA, SD, AZ, and other on-ballot states voter registration info? I suspect that the majority of visitors to this site are inclined to support mj reform, so let’s find a way to help them get registered to vote; it seems like that would be a low-cost, high-benefit addition to the MPP site.
Norml threw a ‘moneybomb’. My personal opinion is that MPP should do the same! Times are tough, but people are willing to give to a cause they believe in.
Fund raising for legalization! Not backdoor bureaucrats funding anti-legalization dishonestly, to protect their bottom lines. (ala 10k from the beer industry)
To date, MPP has not donated any amount to the PROP 19 campaign.
@cannactivism… how much has NORML donated? how much had DPA donated? how much has SAFER donated?
you think these groups are made of money, but they arent… they are grassroots organizations that get their funding from everyday people like you and me and once in awhile, a business or two
(I don’t suggest we insist that MPP or any other grassroots uses money from their own bankroll to donate to prop. 19. But perhaps they should use the unique platform they have developed by being a strong activist/grassroots organization to start a fundraiser. The money comes from us, it is rallied by them, and sent to prop. 19! )
Target Oregon, Colorado and Washington next time. I gaurentee you’ll win them in 12 if you do.
I believe that NORML nor MPP have directly donated money from a organizational stand point but the executive directors of both have donated money out of their own pockets, I know for sure NORML has I just believe I saw an MPP person in there as well.
MPP said last year that it would not donate any money to the 2010 push for legalization. They are putting any and all money into the 2012 push. I think its a bunch of bullshit but its not my money to give out.
26 freakn months is a long time when ~ 1 million people will be arrested in that time according to the Gov. 2009 stats. MMP should be collecting money for financial aid to medical marijuana patients that get screwed over in this time period. Now that would make a statement to the idiotic (closed minded, almost child like) people that still are stuck on stupid.
Oh Mary, when will you come home….
My Mom doesnt have that much time to wait and for that matter niether do I.Get this medicine legal before we all go postal!
Ca, is in a battle right now, that’s where the money needs to go. We have a good chance to win. If we get the funding. Where Ca. goes the world will fallow.
I donate to MPP but I do not trust them to do what is right with the money. Somebody like Richard Lee needs to run MPP.
Imagine how we feel down here in south Texas, a police state shit-hole where cannabis is never even mentioned. Thank GOD for the internet. VOTE YES California, VOTE YES Washington, VOTE YES Texas shit- hole—LOL.
This is the most exciting article I have read in quite some time.
I hear you Cliff!!! I’m in OKC and it’s the same shit-hole – just a little further North! I’m moving West ASAP
@Cliff Oh Cannabis is mentioned in south Texas. Just it is always in relation to border bust numbers and the raids they do. Always reported with glee by all the local news stations.
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Agreed though that there is never mention of Prop 19 or other Texas based pushes for legalization on the local levels.
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Considering this is one of the areas of the country that helped to establish the original prohibition in 37 this is not surprising. You can have all the rights you want as long as it involves drinking down there. Every major festival is just an excuse to setup a beer garden etc. A nod and wink towards thousands of people leaving the area very much under the influence. But God forbid you consider the Devil’s weed …
u luky buggers theres no hope for anything like that her in australia
Please don’t legalize marijuana I want to start a grow op and make 500G’s a year! LOL
jk.
Set up a site to collect funding strictly for Prop 19. I’ll donate and I live in Alabama. I’m thinking if every soul who has a vested interest in legalization across the globe donates, we could come up with serious cash. While we’re at it, set up a site where we can all sign our name as being pro-marijuana. I’m so sick of hearing “stats” that show how many people are “for” or “against”. No one has every stopped me on the streets and “asked” me. Create a site, give us the opportunity as a nation to voice our opinion. Then, let them count their “stats”!!!
There is already a website for Prop 19. http://www.yeson19.com It is legit and they were giving out free T-Shirts for awhile. NORML usually pushes their label and they hold several time limited fundraisers. You can even keep track of it on Facebook etc.
Everyone please chill, MPP does what it can with the money they recieve, and im sure they dont make light decisions. They have to decide where the money will be needed most , and also they have to take into account that the more national recognition they get, the more the Nation hears over and over again that people accross the country not just people all in the same states(sadly a majority of west coast states) want to Tax and Regulate, Believe me its the smart way to go, REPITITION! Exactly like the mainstream media. If you repeat it long enough people will finally hear you.