IT'S TIME TO END MARIJUANA PROHIBITION

Just two weeks ago, a bill was rejected in the Washington state House
that would have moved us one step closer to becoming the first and
only state to legalize and regulate the production, distribution and
sale of marijuana.

The plan was to sell marijuana in state-regulated liquor stores to
those older than 21, regulate it and give it a 15 percent tax. If the
bill passed, an estimated $304 million would have been generated for
the state government in one year - money that would have been more
useful now than ever.

So why not?

It's time for lawmakers to set aside outdated moral qualms with
marijuana. They need to accept it for what it is, in the eyes of the
state - a relatively innocuous crop that could turn into a potent boon
for the state's economy.

At a time when state lawmakers are considering drastic budget cuts,
including to higher education, it is no question that the state could
have used the extra money. It seems like a perfect solution. If only
it were that easy.

Taxing marijuana wouldn't solve all our budget problems, but it
certainly wouldn't hurt. It has always been baffling to try to
understand the reasoning behind the prohibition of something as
harmless as marijuana. Cigarettes, alcohol and even caffeine are legal
substances that have caused numerous heath problems and recorded
deaths. But marijuana is not chemically addictive. It is impossible to
overdose on it, and it can be used to effectively provide relief for a
variety of health issues. If legalized, it could provide society with
much more than that.

Some arguments for legalization are so cliched they've become truisms.
For example, our prisons and jails are overcrowded, and legalizing
marijuana would alleviate that problem. In 2009, there were 860,000
marijuana-related arrests, and 760,000 of those were for simple
possession of marijuana, according to the FBI. In Whatcom County, with
our deteriorating jail, we know better than anyone that we don't have
the money, the room, or the need to house marijuana offenders in the
same place as criminals who are actually causing harm. Decriminalizing
marijuana would remove offenders who don't deserve to be in prison.

In the eyes of the federal government, marijuana is a crime. And
unlike most other federal crimes, it causes minimal harm to the user,
or to anyone else. It is unfair for the law to treat marijuana users
the same as other criminals who have potentially caused harm to other
human beings.

The House bill failed, but it isn't over for good. The people of
Washington need to step up and make a difference. Groups around
Washington will be gathering signatures as part of an initiative
effort to bring marijuana legalization to the ballot in November. The
Legislature has just approved Senate Bill 5073, which would regulate
medical marijuana more closely and protect patients against criminal
liability. If this is passed, it only brings us closer to the end of
wasted time and money spent combating marijuana use.

For years, our country has spent too much time and money trying to
fight this feared "drug." It's a plant that could end up benefiting
society immensely.

It's time for our state to recognize these benefits. If lawmakers
don't, the people of Washington will do it themselves.

We can't afford not to.