November 12, 2012

Seattle Police Will No Longer Arrest Anyone For Marijuana Possession

November 12, 2012
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seattle washington marijuana chargesKing And Pierce County Prosecutors Dismiss Over 200 Marijuana Cases

It’s a great time to be living in King and Pierce Counties in Washington State. More than 220 misdemeanor marijuana possession cases are being dropped in response to the passage of I-502. Not only are current cases being dropped, but law enforcement in those counties will be treating the law as if I-502 was already implemented going forward.

“Although the effective date of I-502 is not until December 6, there is no point in continuing to seek criminal penalties for conduct that will be legal next month,” King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg said in a statement published by the Seattle Times

“The people have spoken through this initiative,” said Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist. “And as a practical matter, I don’t think you could sell a simple marijuana case to a jury after this initiative passed.”

I have never been prouder to be from the Pacific Northwest. It makes me smile from ear to ear to know that there are at least two county prosecutors in this area that have a good head on their shoulders and are willing to do the right thing. For those TWB readers that aren’t familiar with the geography of Washington State, King and Pierce Counties are home to Seattle and Tacoma which are the first and third largest cities in Washington, so this is very significant.

washington state county map

I hope more counties prosecutors take the initiative to get out ahead of the inevitable policy changes. As in any state, some counties in Washington are more conservative than others when it comes to marijuana policy. I haven’t heard anything out of Colorado saying the same thing, but if any readers have links, feel free to send them over!

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