Editorial  Illustration  Project  1                      

Scott  Johnston  

Winner of Eight Pulitzer Prizes

Editorials / Opinion

Originally published Monday, January 16, 2012 at 4:01 PM

Washington Legislature must resolve legal muddle overmedical marijuana

The Seattle Times editorial board supports the efforts of state Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles to pass a new medical-marijuana bill.

THE Legislature is about to get another medical-marijuana bill. It is a necessary bill.

The medical-cannabis regime in Washington — "cannabis" is the official name now — was left in chaoslast year by the Obama administration's threat to prosecute state employees who licensed any cannabisbusiness.

The Obama people didn't say they would arrest state employees, and they haven't done it elsewhere. Buttheir threat was enough for Gov. Chris Gregoire to veto much of the bill.

What survived was "collective gardens" — small grows by patients and their providers. But dispensaries —the shops — were in limbo.

Spokane, which on this issue is located somewhere in cultural Idaho, shut its dispensaries down withraids by police. We are told dispensaries remain open in Mukilteo, Shoreline, Seattle, Issaquah, Kent,Tacoma, Gig Harbor, Lacey, Olympia and Castle Rock.

That is not enough. Cannabis has proven medical value, and some of the patients who want it live east ofthe mountains. They ought to be able to buy it. (We believe all people over 21 ought to be able to buy it,but that is another matter.)

The new bill, by Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, D-Seattle, allows nonprofit (but taxable) cannabis dispensariesby local option. For counties of more than 200,000 — Whatcom, Snohomish, Kitsap, King, Pierce,Thurston, Clark, Yakima and Spokane — the bill would allow dispensaries unless a local jurisdiction optedout. In the other 30 counties, jurisdictions would be out unless they opted in.

The bill also sets up a voluntary statewide registry to give patients protection from arrest, which wasvetoed in last year's bill. It also says a conviction for driving under the influence requires actualimpairment, not only a blood test, because traces of cannabis may stay in the blood for days.

Gregoire's office has seen the draft bill and a representative says that in its present form the governorprobably could sign it. That would be a step forward on a long road.

Project  Statement    

1. Background  The  client  for  this  illustration  would  be  a  newspaper  company  or  a  news  website.    

2. Target  Audience  The  target  audience  for  this  would  be  dispensary  owners,  medical  marijuana  users,  and  the  counties  that  this  affects.  

3. Objectives  I  want  the  audience  to  see  the  reality  of  what  is  going  on.  Dispensaries  are  going  to  be  opening  once  this  bill  is  passed.  There  will  be  more  tax  money  from  the  marijuana  getting  taxed  and  the  people  should  make  sure  the  government  puts  it  to  good  use.  

4. Obstacles  People  who  don’t  want  to  legalize  marijuana  will  be  the  main  obstacle.  

5. Key  Benefit  They  will  be  enlightened  on  the  subject.  

6. Support  Statements/Reasons  Why  The  message  will  get  out  to  those  people  and  they  will  understand  what  is  going  on  but  just  won’t  agree  with  it.  

7. Tone  The  illustration  has  a  light  tone.  The  illustration  is  slightly  humorous.  

8. Media  The  media  for  this  will  be  either  newspaper  or  websites.  

9. Creative  Considerations  No  special  considerations.  

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1/25/12 3:58 PMEditorials | Washington Legislature must resolve legal muddle over medical marijuana | Seattle Times Newspaper

Winner of Eight Pulitzer Prizes

Editorials / Opinion

Originally published Monday, January 16, 2012 at 4:01 PM

Washington Legislature must resolve legal muddle overmedical marijuana

The Seattle Times editorial board supports the efforts of state Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles to pass a new medical-marijuana bill.

THE Legislature is about to get another medical-marijuana bill. It is a necessary bill.

The medical-cannabis regime in Washington — "cannabis" is the official name now — was left in chaoslast year by the Obama administration's threat to prosecute state employees who licensed anycannabis business.

The Obama people didn't say they would arrest state employees, and they haven't done it elsewhere.But their threat was enough for Gov. Chris Gregoire to veto much of the bill.

What survived was "collective gardens" — small grows by patients and their providers. Butdispensaries — the shops — were in limbo.

Spokane, which on this issue is located somewhere in cultural Idaho, shut its dispensaries down withraids by police. We are told dispensaries remain open in Mukilteo, Shoreline, Seattle, Issaquah, Kent,Tacoma, Gig Harbor, Lacey, Olympia and Castle Rock.

That is not enough. Cannabis has proven medical value, and some of the patients who want it live eastof the mountains. They ought to be able to buy it. (We believe all people over 21 ought to be able to buyit, but that is another matter.)

The new bill, by Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, D-Seattle, allows nonprofit (but taxable) cannabisdispensaries by local option. For counties of more than 200,000 — Whatcom, Snohomish, Kitsap,King, Pierce, Thurston, Clark, Yakima and Spokane — the bill would allow dispensaries unless a localjurisdiction opted out. In the other 30 counties, jurisdictions would be out unless they opted in.

The bill also sets up a voluntary statewide registry to give patients protection from arrest, which wasvetoed in last year's bill. It also says a conviction for driving under the influence requires actualimpairment, not only a blood test, because traces of cannabis may stay in the blood for days.

Gregoire's office has seen the draft bill and a representative says that in its present form the governorprobably could sign it. That would be a step forward on a long road.

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