Pubdate: Mon, 10 Dec 2012
Source: Washington Post (DC)
Copyright: 2012 Associated Press
Contact: http://mapinc.org/url/mUgeOPdZ
Website: http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/491
Author: Terrence Petty, Associated Press
Page: A7

STATES WORRY WASHINGTON MARIJUANA WILL DRIFT IN

Portland, ore. - Now that marijuana is legal in neighboring 
Washington state, Portland police are offering some helpful advice to 
Oregon pot users. Sure, you can go over to Washington state to "smoke 
some weed," a police advisory states, but you might get arrested for 
driving under the influence if you're pulled over coming home, even 
if you're on a bike.

And if you are among the 55,000 people with an Oregon medical 
marijuana card, Portland police say you'll be able to get your 
allowed amount of medicine in Washington state. Still, even though 
you now can't get busted for toking in Tacoma or elsewhere in 
Washington (though you could get a ticket for public use), it will be 
a year before selling or buying it is legal.

As the Evergreen State works out the various complications of its new 
law - including the fact that marijuana is still illegal under 
federal law - neighbors of Washington are watching with curiosity, 
and perhaps some apprehension.

If the federal government doesn't attempt to intervene, and if 
Washington state sets up a supply system whose mechanics are yet to 
be defined, Washington may well become a greater source of pot for 
users in Oregon and Idaho.

"It would be like a place people go to get cheap beer. We're not 
talking about medical marijuana. We're talking about people who just 
want to get high," said Josh Marquis, district attorney for Oregon's 
Clatsop County.

Marquis is not totally opposed to marijuana. He thinks the federal 
government should do what Oregon has done: Decriminalize possession 
of small amounts, and allow people with genuine medical needs to have 
access for treatment.

But one of his greatest concerns, echoed by other law enforcement 
officials, is people going over to Washington to obtain weed and 
driving home stoned.

"If I'm going to drive on the Oregon coast at night, in the driving 
rain, I want the person on the other side of the road to be 
completely unimpaired," Marquis told the Associated Press.

Idaho law officials are also watching what's happening in Washington 
state. Unlike Oregon, Idaho has no medical marijuana law, and 
possession in any form is against the law. Simple possession of less 
than three ounces is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in 
jail and a $1,000 fine.

Idaho officials already have their hands full with Idahoans obtaining 
medical marijuana cards out of state. The Gem State borders three 
medical marijuana states, a reality that has caused medical marijuana 
arrests to outpace those of traffickers or other users.

Although Idaho is a largely conservative state, there are pockets 
defined by borders and demographics that could create new challenges 
for law enforcement.

One of them is Moscow, home to the University of Idaho campus and 
more than 11,000 students - just a 10-minute drive to the Washington 
State University campus in Pullman. More than 70 miles to the north 
is the busy suburban corridor connecting Spokane, Wash., and the 
Idaho cities of Post Falls and Coeur d'Alene.

Idaho police say increased arrests for marijuana could intensify 
stress on county jails and caseloads for county prosecutors.

Idaho State Police Lt. Chris Schenk says people in north Idaho are 
joking about "pot tourists" crossing the border to take advantage of 
Washington's relaxed law. But he says it's going to take time to 
gauge any increases in arrests for possession or driving under the influence.

Oregon has some of the most permissive pot laws in the nation. 
Possession of less than an ounce will get you the equivalent of a 
speeding ticket. And for those who want to go the legal route, they 
can get a medical marijuana card.

Still, obtaining pot in Oregon is not without its hassles, in the 
eyes of some who use it.

Federal drug agents have been cracking down on some medical marijuana 
pot growers, alleging they shipped pot out of state. There has also 
been pressure on dispensaries that have sprung up in Oregon that 
provide medical marijuana for a fee to cover costs of operation. Law 
officials in some counties have raided such operations, saying they 
are selling pot for profit.

If Washington state sets up a pot supply system, it is likely some 
Oregon holders of medical marijuana cards will go north for their 
medicine, advocates say.

In Canada, another Washington neighbor, pot is illegal under federal 
law. Border enforcement of drug laws is stringent, but enforcement 
for possession for personal use is relaxed. Grass is smoked openly in 
parks and at pot cafes in British Columbia. Distribution of medical 
marijuana to patients with needs deemed legitimate through pot 
dispensaries is also allowed.

A spokesman for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Sgt. Duncan Pound, 
said it is too early to predict what effects legalization in 
Washington will have.

A marijuana advocate in British Columbia, Jodie Emery, worries Canada 
might intensify border controls because of Washington's weed legalization.

Emery also speculates that legalization in Washington could lessen 
the flow of people traveling to Vancouver, B.C., to try some "BC Bud."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom