By Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director
Nearly eight months after Washington voters passed a binding cannabis legalization initiative with an impressive 55% showing, the federal government is still yet to have made any definitive public statements as to what it is going to do regarding what is now such a clear conflict: between established federal laws and customs prohibiting any use, cultivation or sale of cannabis, for whatever reason-personal, medical and banning domestically-cultivated industrial hemp-and states whose citizens are leading the way at apparently dismantling a certainly failed 75-year-old federal prohibition against cannabis.
Frustrated by a lack of federal response and political leaderships seven members of the Washington’s congressional delegation have written a letter to the Obama Administration (specifically Attorney General Holder, who told Congress in public testimony months ago that the administration would have public statements “soon”) seeking guidance and clarity.
The members of the Senate and Congress who’ve signed the letter are both Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray, as well as Representatives Adam Smith, Jim McDermott, Suzan DelBene, Denny Heck and Derek Kilmer.
Apparent opponents of reform, Representatives Rick Larsen, Dave Reichert, Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Doc Hastings did not sign onto the letter.
In other news regarding Washington moving forward with their cannabis legalization efforts as directed by the voters, the soon to be renamed ‘WA Liquor and Cannabis Control Board’, held public hearing yesterday that can be viewed and watched here:
WA Liquor Control Board YouTube channel
Source: NORML – make a donation
