Cannabis in Washington (state)
[6] In western states such as Washington, cannabis prohibition was largely motivated by the drug's association with the growing number of Mexican American immigrants.
As racial and anti-immigrant tensions rose, newspapers published sensationalized stories of the drug causing Mexicans to go insane and commit violent crimes.
In the case of State v. Diana, a Spokane man with multiple sclerosis appealed his conviction of possession of a controlled substance on the grounds that the drug was necessary to treat his medical condition.
The cooperative, run by Joanna McKee and Ronald L. (Stich) Miller, provided cannabis at little or no cost to over 70 patients with diseases such as AIDS, cancer, and multiple sclerosis.
[12] In reaction to the raid against the Green Cross Patient Co-op, an attorney from Tacoma named Ralph Seeley sued the state of Washington, seeking to have cannabis rescheduled as a Schedule II drug.
Seeley, who had been diagnosed with a rare bone cancer in 1986, used cannabis obtained from the co-op to treat the side effects of his chemotherapy.
[15] Initiative 685, which appeared on the 1997 general ballot, would have allowed doctors to prescribe any Schedule I drug, if scientific research supported medical use.
[17] The passage of I-692 allowed physicians to recommend medical marijuana to patients with terminal or debilitating illnesses including: "chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting in cancer patients; AIDS wasting syndrome; severe muscle spasms associated with multiple sclerosis and other spasticity disorders; epilepsy; acute or chronic glaucoma; and some forms of intractable pain.
[18] Qualifying patients with a note from their doctor were permitted to possess a sixty-day supply of cannabis, which was later defined to be "twenty-four ounces of usable marijuana and no more than fifteen plants.
[20] That same year, the state legislature passed an overhaul of medical marijuana laws, which would have created a system of state-licensed growers, processors and dispensaries.
In 2003, Seattle passed an initiative making adult marijuana possession the lowest priority of law enforcement agencies in the city.
Despite an endorsement by the Washington State Democratic Party, the campaign received little fundraising and failed to gather enough signatures to secure a spot on the ballot.
The bill would also allow the Washington State Liquor Control Board to regulate and tax cannabis production and sales, and set new limits on blood THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) levels for driving under the influence.
[30] I-502 was also endorsed by the Washington State Democratic Party,[31] the mayor and entire city council of Seattle,[32] and the sheriff of King County.
[33] On November 6, 2012, I-502 was approved by a vote of 55.7% to 44.3%[38] Possession of up to 1 ounce (28 g) of marijuana by adults became legal under state law on December 6, however cultivation, sale and even gifting remained illegal.
[39] After I-502 went into effect, the Washington State Liquor Control board began establishing regulations for the new recreational cannabis industry, with a deadline of December 1, 2013 set by the initiative.
[41] On November 18, 2013, the state began accepting applications for marijuana businesses including growers, processors and retail outlets.
The Liquor Control Board initially planned to allow 334 retail stores and 2,000,000 square feet (190,000 m2) of growing space statewide.
[44] In accordance with the Federal 2014 Farm Bill, the state legislature passed ESSB 6206 in 2016, creating the Industrial Hemp Research Pilot (IHRP).
[51] The cartels utilized the favorable climate of Eastern Washington to establish large scale outdoor-growing operations in remote areas of national parks and tribal reservations.
[52] These clandestine growers cause significant damage to the environment by diverting streams, clearing trees, using pesticides, poaching animals and leaving behind litter and human waste.
[53] In 2017, a drug bust organized by multiple counties seized over 33,000 cannabis plants which were suspected to be part of an illegal growing operation run by Chinese nationals.
[58]: 28 Due in part to a strong harvest of outdoor-grown cannabis in the fall of 2014, supply levels increased and the state's licensed marijuana industry had stabilized by early 2015.
[64] According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, as of 2015–2016, 19.5% of Washington adults aged 18 or older have used cannabis within the past year, relative to the national average, which was estimated at 13.9% by the same survey.
In May 2023, the Governor signed a bill into law after passing the Legislature - effective immediately, that "legally protects" home or in private usage/consumption cannabis users (outside of workplace hours for example) from getting fired, denied promotions and/or being discriminated against within Washington State.
Along side with embedded protections with "race, disability, hairstyles, religion, sex, gender identity and sexual orientation, etc".
