Washington state lights up as smoking marijuana becomes legal

[WestVirginiaRebel]

UK Telegraph:

Washington state has become the first in America to allow the recreational use of cannabis, setting up a potential showdown with the US federal government.

In the city of Seattle pro-cannabis campaigners celebrated in a haze at the foot of the Space Needle tower at one minute past midnight, the moment the state's new law came into effect.

Vivian McPeak, director of Seattle's annual Hempfest, said: "This is a big day because all our lives we've been living under the iron curtain of prohibition. The whole world sees that prohibition just took a body blow."

The new law only allows cannabis to be smoked inside, and doing so in public is still subject to a $100 fine.

However, the Seattle Police Department told its 1,300 officers that until further notice they shall not issue tickets, and no officers were present at the Space Needle event.

On the city's police website, spokesman Jonah Spangenthal-Lee said: "The department's going to give you a generous grace period to help you adjust to this brave, new, and maybe kinda stoned world we live in."

He added: "The police department believes that, under state law, you may responsibly get baked, order some pizzas and enjoy a Lord of the Rings marathon in the privacy of your own home, if you want to."

________

 

Break out the Cheetos...

[clearvision]

Hey @pollyannaish can you see the clouds coming over the hills from the coast?

[pollyannaish]

Hey @pollyannaish can you see the clouds coming over the hills from the coast?

 

Duuuude. You got any Cheetos?

[Argyle58]

So, I guess this also means an end to pre-employment drug testing in Washington?

[Rheo]

So, I guess this also means an end to pre-employment drug testing in Washington?

Good point. has that been addressed?

[clearvision]

So, I guess this also means an end to pre-employment drug testing in Washington?

Wow you have confidence. Employment.

[pollyannaish]

We don't honestly know@Argyle58. My husband works for the state employment division and the confusion and lack of direction is crazy. Nobody knows what to do.

 

Few more weeks and a lot of people won't care.

[Argyle58]

We don't honestly know@Argyle58. My husband works for the state employment division and the confusion and lack of direction is crazy. Nobody knows what to do.

 

Few more weeks and a lot of people won't care.

 

It would seem that it would be considered discriminatory to refuse employment for consuming a legal substance.

[pollyannaish]

You'd think, but look at what's happened with smokers!

 

@Argyle58

[Argyle58]

You'd think, but look at what's happened with smokers!

 

@Argyle58

 

Yeah, but that's more political discrimination than anything else. I would imagine that the court system there is in for a fractious time.

[pollyannaish]

Well if history is any judge, our local courts will side with the initiative vote. The fireworks will come with the head to head with the Feds.

 

This is a law full of ridiculous ironies. You can't smoke tobacco indoors, but you can't smoke pot outdoors. You can't sell tobacco out of a vending machine, but you might end up being able to sell pot that way. Pot smoking is just as harmful to your lungs and causes mental impairment like alcohol, but tobacco increases mental capacity but annoys everyone else.

 

 

I don't know. I'm rather libertarian about things, but this is a mess.

[pollyannaish]

Worst side effect: this is hell for schools.

[Argyle58]

I can't wait to see the outcome of the confrontation with the Feds. After squashing state immigration control attempts by telling states that they cannot enforce Federal immigration laws, they now must take the opposite tack and insist that states enforce Federal drug laws. They have created the precedent against their own arguments.