Results tagged “decriminalization”

The state Supreme Court unanimously overturned a 30 year-old precedent which allowed Washington State Police to arrest an entire car-load of people if the officer even smelled marijuana. Now, if a police officer pulls you over and approaches you because they smell chronic, they have the right to search your car for proof of the drugs. But, they can no longer just arrest you based on a cop's sensitive sniffer. Considering the continued aggression the SPD and WSP have shown towards marijuana users—even to those who have a pot prescription for medicine—this ruling is a bright spot in dark times.

While Seattle may have made marijuana possession its lowest legal priority, the latest figures from a statewide conference of sheriffs and police chiefs indicate the prosecution of marijuana in Washington State is anything but decreasing. In 2007, the state of Washington more than doubled its seizures of marijuana plants. 296,111 marijuana plants were seized in Washington alone last year.