New Law Makes Marijuana Legal as a Recreational Drug

According to KHQ News, marijuana will be legal in the state of Washington on December 6th. This means that after pot is declared legal all men and women can smoke this drug freely without fear of arrest. The new state law will not give protection from workplace drug policies, which means that many employees will still be punished if they try to smoke this strong drug on the job. Most workplaces have decided that they will rely on tests that show marijuana use rather than on-the-job impairment to choose whether or not to punish employees. This means that if you smoke marijuana but you are not impaired at work, you can still be punished.

The marijuana legalization will occur as a result of a proposition which was voted on in the 2012 election. Washington voters chose to legalize pot as the majority. The state of Colorado had a similar proposition which was also passed in the state. The new law will make marijuana legal as a recreational drug that can be used by adults 21 and up. Children can still be punished for using pot, much like they can be arrested for underage drinking. Even if you only have residual amounts of marijuana in your system, you may still be punished by your workplace for smoking. Because marijuana can often stay in the system for over 24 hours, you may be unable to smoke if you want to keep your job.

Inititaive 502

According to Initiative 502, on December 6th it will be permissible to possess an ounce of marijuana in Washington state for all those who are over 21. The plant is still a Schedule 1 drug in the state, which means that anyone under the age of 21 with an ounce of marijuana can be detained. As well, anyone who is found growing the plant illegal can be prosecuted by federal law. As well, those that have over an ounce of marijuana in their possession may still be prosecuted for exceeding the permissible limit.

The plant will be taxed very heavily in the state. Because of this, many people think that the law will actually do a lot of good for the state of Washington. All of the taxes will bring much-needed revenue to the health care and education systems in the state. It is important to keep in mind that while marijuana in small amounts is allowed in Washington, it is still illegal on the federal level. The national Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws says that marijuana is not fully legal anywhere on the planet.

In fact, the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs treaty, which was passed in 1961 by the United Nations, announced that the ownership and distribution of drugs like marijuana is illegal all throughout the world. The United States later codified this under the Controlled Substances Act, which says that it is against the law to use marijuana recreationally. The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws says that there are states in America that are in total violation of the national precedents. While local laws may be passing that approve of marijuana, that does not mean that the federal law will permit the practice. For most users, marijuana use will be an unrestricted activity. Yet if the federal government gets involved, this could lead to prosecution.

A lot of states believe that the legalization of marijuana in select states can be traced back to the United States Constitution. In the ninth and tenth amendments to the Constitution, the founding fathers wrote that the powers that are not delegated to the federal government belong of the states and the people within those states. Because of this, many state governments believe that they can legalize drugs like marijuana. The federal government has left states alone to vote on whether or not they approve of marijuana use, starting the legalization of medical marijuana a few years back. Historians have observed that it was Colorado that voted to revoke prohibition in 1932. This led to a chain reaction followed by other states, and eventually to the federal repeal of prohibition. Some see this same course of action happening with marijuana as more and more states embrace the drug.

Once the law is passed on December 6th in the state, users can smoke in moderation. Just like it is still illegal to drink and drive, impaired driving as a result of marijuana can lead to arrest. If you choose to get in your car and drive, it is important to ensure that you are not inhibited by a narcotic. If you have more questions about the legalization of marijuana or were arrested for this crime and now want to fight your charges in court in light of the new laws then you need to hire a Seattle criminal defense attorney who can help you. Talk to a lawyer at Baker, Lewis, Schwisow & Laws today for more information!