Editorial Illustration Project 1 Scott Johnston
Winner of Eight Pulitzer Prizes
Editorials / Opinion Originally published Monday, January 16, 2012 at 4:01 PM
Washington Legislature must resolve legal muddle over medical marijuana The Seattle Times editorial board supports the efforts of state Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles to pass a new medicalmarijuana bill.
THE Legislature is about to get another medical-marijuana bill. It is a necessary bill. The medical-cannabis regime in Washington — "cannabis" is the official name now — was left in chaos last year by the Obama administration's threat to prosecute state employees who licensed any cannabis business. The Obama people didn't say they would arrest state employees, and they haven't done it elsewhere. But their threat was enough for Gov. Chris Gregoire to veto much of the bill. What survived was "collective gardens" — small grows by patients and their providers. But dispensaries — the shops — were in limbo. Spokane, which on this issue is located somewhere in cultural Idaho, shut its dispensaries down with raids by police. We are told dispensaries remain open in Mukilteo, Shoreline, Seattle, Issaquah, Kent, Tacoma, Gig Harbor, Lacey, Olympia and Castle Rock. That is not enough. Cannabis has proven medical value, and some of the patients who want it live east of the mountains. They ought to be able to buy it. (We believe all people over 21 ought to be able to buy it, but that is another matter.) The new bill, by Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, D-Seattle, allows nonprofit (but taxable) cannabis dispensaries by local option. For counties of more than 200,000 — Whatcom, Snohomish, Kitsap, King, Pierce, Thurston, Clark, Yakima and Spokane — the bill would allow dispensaries unless a local jurisdiction opted out. In the other 30 counties, jurisdictions would be out unless they opted in. The bill also sets up a voluntary statewide registry to give patients protection from arrest, which was vetoed in last year's bill. It also says a conviction for driving under the influence requires actual impairment, not only a blood test, because traces of cannabis may stay in the blood for days. Gregoire's office has seen the draft bill and a representative says that in its present form the governor probably could sign it. That would be a step forward on a long road.
Project Statement 1. Background The client for this illustration would be a newspaper company or a news website. 2. Target Audience The target audience for this would be dispensary owners, medical marijuana users, and the counties that this affects. 3. Objectives I want the audience to see the reality of what is going on. Dispensaries are going to be opening once this bill is passed. There will be more tax money from the marijuana getting taxed and the people should make sure the government puts it to good use. 4. Obstacles People who don’t want to legalize marijuana will be the main obstacle. 5. Key Benefit They will be enlightened on the subject. 6. Support Statements/Reasons Why The message will get out to those people and they will understand what is going on but just won’t agree with it. 7. Tone The illustration has a light tone. The illustration is slightly humorous. 8. Media The media for this will be either newspaper or websites. 9. Creative Considerations No special considerations.
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Editorials | Washington Legislature must resolve legal muddle over medical marijuana | Seattle Times Newspaper
1/25/12 3:58 PM
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Winner of Eight Pulitzer Prizes
Editorials / Opinion Originally published Monday, January 16, 2012 at 4:01 PM
Washington Legislature must resolve legal muddle over medical marijuana The Seattle Times editorial board supports the efforts of state Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles to pass a new medicalmarijuana bill.
THE Legislature is about to get another medical-marijuana bill. It is a necessary bill. The medical-cannabis regime in Washington — "cannabis" is the official name now — was left in chaos last year by the Obama administration's threat to prosecute state employees who licensed any cannabis business. The Obama people didn't say they would arrest state employees, and they haven't done it elsewhere. But their threat was enough for Gov. Chris Gregoire to veto much of the bill. What survived was "collective gardens" — small grows by patients and their providers. But dispensaries — the shops — were in limbo. Spokane, which on this issue is located somewhere in cultural Idaho, shut its dispensaries down with raids by police. We are told dispensaries remain open in Mukilteo, Shoreline, Seattle, Issaquah, Kent, Tacoma, Gig Harbor, Lacey, Olympia and Castle Rock. That is not enough. Cannabis has proven medical value, and some of the patients who want it live east of the mountains. They ought to be able to buy it. (We believe all people over 21 ought to be able to buy it, but that is another matter.) The new bill, by Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, D-Seattle, allows nonprofit (but taxable) cannabis dispensaries by local option. For counties of more than 200,000 — Whatcom, Snohomish, Kitsap, King, Pierce, Thurston, Clark, Yakima and Spokane — the bill would allow dispensaries unless a local jurisdiction opted out. In the other 30 counties, jurisdictions would be out unless they opted in. The bill also sets up a voluntary statewide registry to give patients protection from arrest, which was vetoed in last year's bill. It also says a conviction for driving under the influence requires actual impairment, not only a blood test, because traces of cannabis may stay in the blood for days. Gregoire's office has seen the draft bill and a representative says that in its present form the governor probably could sign it. That would be a step forward on a long road.