Seattle Mayor-Elect: Legalize Marijuana

Seattle Mayor-elect Mike McGinn said during a radio interview Friday that he supports efforts to make it legal to use marijuana in Washington state.

Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson, D-Seattle, has introduced a bill that would allow people 21 and older to use pot.

Speaking to KUOW, McGinn noted that city voters in 2003 approved a measure making enforcement of marijuana laws the lowest priority for Seattle police.

“Hopefully we’ve already gotten some city savings from that already, in that we’re saving money on prosecution and incarceration around what the citizens think is a pretty darn law priority,” said McGinn, adding that his stance on pot use is nothing new.

“I actually took this position during the campaign and nobody noticed. It was an answer to the question in the Stranger’s election land,” McGinn said. “If every elected official who ever smoked marijuana voted to legalize it would probably be legalized in an instant. We recognize that, like alcohol, it’s something that should be regulated not treated as a criminal activity and I think that’s where the citizens of Seattle want us to go.”

On a Web site set up for McGinn so he can hear suggestions from the people of Seattle, “Legalize marijuana and tax it” was the second most popular idea.

Earlier this week state Attorney General Rob McKenna told reporters he opposes Dickerson’s bill.

In 2010 it looks like the whole West Coast will be discussing the legalization of marijuana for all adults.  The next Mayor of Seattle is openly supporting the idea.  Californians support legalization by 56% according to the Field Poll and TaxCannabis2010.org has gotten more than enough signatures to qualify for the November ballot.  Oregonians are pushing a bill, a referendum, and an initiative to see where support is greatest.

It might be possible that the next New Year we’ll be looking at three states with legal pot.  Wow!