OPINION Our views

No on I685 says no to drugs

Whether or not you support marijuana for medical use, Initiative 685
deserves a *no* vote. This initiative goes way beyond easing the pain of
suffering people and, among other things, attempts to free people who
deserve to be in jail.

To start, I685 vaguely spells out that it would only take the
*recommendation* of two medical practitioners to give anyone the go ahead
to seek out drugs. Those drugs could include heroin and LSD, in addition to
marijuana.

Ironically, the law would still allow for punishment of the growers and
sellers of drugs. So, even if severely ill patients are given permission to
possess marijuana, they must buy it from a person secretly performing an
illegal act.

Passage of the initiative would automatically release anyone who is in
prison for possession of any illegal drugs. Don't be misled to believe that
are prisons are filled with people incarcerated because they smoked a
little dope. People with drug convictions are almost all drug dealers with
long rap sheets of related and non related crimes. I685 would even ignore
certain rape and assault charges; as long as possession of drugs was one of
the crimes, they'd be set free.

This initiative was clearly written for another state, not Washington.
There are many references to probation, suspended sentences and parole.
This state hasn't had any such provision since 1984. Therefore, many of the
circumstances listed in the initiative, such as possession of crack
cocaine, would become a crime without punishment.

There may be room somewhere in state law and public acceptance for
legalized marijuana, but I685 isn't it.

ELECTION LETTERS:

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