POULSBO LEGISLATOR AGAIN BACKING MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION BILL

OLYMPIA -- A bill that would legalize marijuana and to treat it similar
to liquor was introduced into the Washington House on Tuesday.

It is the second attempt for this bill, which died in the Public
Safety Committee last year when chairman Rep. Christopher Hurst,
D-Enumclaw, opposed it. Hurst is a veteran police detective.

Rep. Sherry Appleton, D-Poulsbo, sponsored the bill both years. She
said there's a good chance it won't make it out of committee this
year, either, but noted plenty of testimony backing the bill in a
hearing last year.

"There is always the chance that maybe it will pass, and 'maybe' is an
important word," she said.

Appleton supports legalizing marijuana so the state can regulate and
tax it. She also said legalization would cut down on the number of
jail inmates who are first-time drug offenders.

The bill's language said: "Each year, millions of dollars are wasted
on the prosecution of cannabis-related offenses. Regulation of
cannabis will eliminate these expenses in addition to generating revenue."

The bill would put the state liquor control board in charge of selling
marijuana in the state's liquor stores.

People younger than 21 would not be allowed to buy or use marijuana
under the bill. Public advertising of marijuana products would not be
allowed and homegrown marijuana would still be illegal.

Under the bill, the liquor board and the state agriculture department
would regulate the farmer licensing, farming methods and growing
season for marijuana. The liquor board would regulate storage and
sales of pot and collect taxes.

Seventy-seven percent of the state's marijuana revenue would go to the
state health department. Twenty percent would go to drug and alcohol
abuse programs. The rest would cover to administrative costs.

Under the bill, cities and counties wold not be allowed to levy
marijuana-related taxes. The bill includes procedures for a city to
ban the use of marijuana within its boundaries.