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Washington D.C. should set aside the warnings of its attorney general and let voters decide if they want to legalize marijuana possession in the nation's capital, advocates for the measure argued Tuesday before the D.C. Board of Elections. The band of marijuana advocates are seeking to make D.C. the first East Coast city to legalize marijuana possession on the November ballot. If successful in petitioning the measure to the ballot, a recent Washington Post poll showed, it faces a strong chance of passage and would hasten the arrival in Washington of a legalization debate that has so far mostly simmered in Western states.
D.C. Attorney General Irvin B. Nathan last week urged the city's board of elections to reject the measure saying it would put at least one aspect of District law in conflict with federal law. Nathan warned that federal law would still require the city to kick out residents of public housing who are convicted of drug possession, even if District law no longer considered possession a crime. Adam Eidinger, a leading activist for the initiative, downplayed Nathan's concern, saying there was nothing the District could do about the conflict and that it would be up to the D.C. Council to write a law enacting the measure as equitably as possible.
Eidinger said any landlord would still have the right to write into a lease a prohibition against possessing marijuana in a rented home. "It's like signing a lease that says you can't have a dog in your apartment," he said. Some elections board members appeared skeptical, but the board promised a decision in coming days, likely within a week, a board spokeswoman said. As introduced, the initiative would allow people 21 or older to possess as much as two ounces of marijuana for personal use and grow up to three plants at home. The initiative as submitted would also allow marijuana growers to transfer, but not sell, small amounts to others and would also legalize the sale of cannabis paraphernalia. Should the board agree that the proposal is suitable for the ballot, backers would have to collect the signatures of more than 25,000 city voters for it to qualify. Meanwhile, the D.C. Council next week is expected to give final approval to a measure to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana.
News Moderator - The General @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Washingtonpost.com
Author: Aaron C. Davis
Contact: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Website: Advocates press for marijuana legalization measure on D.C. ballot - The Washington Post
D.C. Attorney General Irvin B. Nathan last week urged the city's board of elections to reject the measure saying it would put at least one aspect of District law in conflict with federal law. Nathan warned that federal law would still require the city to kick out residents of public housing who are convicted of drug possession, even if District law no longer considered possession a crime. Adam Eidinger, a leading activist for the initiative, downplayed Nathan's concern, saying there was nothing the District could do about the conflict and that it would be up to the D.C. Council to write a law enacting the measure as equitably as possible.
Eidinger said any landlord would still have the right to write into a lease a prohibition against possessing marijuana in a rented home. "It's like signing a lease that says you can't have a dog in your apartment," he said. Some elections board members appeared skeptical, but the board promised a decision in coming days, likely within a week, a board spokeswoman said. As introduced, the initiative would allow people 21 or older to possess as much as two ounces of marijuana for personal use and grow up to three plants at home. The initiative as submitted would also allow marijuana growers to transfer, but not sell, small amounts to others and would also legalize the sale of cannabis paraphernalia. Should the board agree that the proposal is suitable for the ballot, backers would have to collect the signatures of more than 25,000 city voters for it to qualify. Meanwhile, the D.C. Council next week is expected to give final approval to a measure to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana.
News Moderator - The General @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Washingtonpost.com
Author: Aaron C. Davis
Contact: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Website: Advocates press for marijuana legalization measure on D.C. ballot - The Washington Post
