Pubdate: Sat, 31 Jan 2015 Source: Baltimore Sun (MD) Copyright: 2015 The Baltimore Sun Company Contact: http://www.baltimoresun.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/37 Author: Timothy B. Wheeler ADVOCATES PUSH FOR LEGAL MARIJUANA Supporters Hope Laws in Other States Will Pave the Way for MD. In a year when budget cuts dominate debate in Annapolis, advocates for legalizing marijuana are mounting a renewed effort to get Maryland to follow the lead of Colorado and Washington state - if not now, then in a year or two. A Colorado state legislator and an elected official from Seattle joined legalization supporters at a news conference Friday to say that voter-passed initiatives in their states are proceeding more or less smoothly to treat recreational use of cannabis much like another legal but regulated substance, alcohol. "The sky hasn't fallen. Things are working," said Jonathan Singer, a Colorado state representative. He said he was one of only two lawmakers in his state to publicly endorse the 2012 voter initiative there to legalize, regulate and tax marijuana. Peter S. Holmes, Seattle's city attorney, said he campaigned on a promise to stop prosecuting marijuana possession cases because he believed they were undermining law enforcement and respect for the law. Washington state is gradually proceeding to establish a regulated marijuana industry, Holmes said, with only about a third of the authorized retail outlets open so far. Legalization efforts have fallen short twice before in Annapolis, and sponsors of this year's bill acknowledge that it's a long shot this session, too. But they point to a recent poll indicating 53 percent of Marylanders support legalization. Del. Curt Anderson, a Baltimore Democrat who's sponsored the previous efforts, said he believes lawmakers will eventually come around to legalizing marijuana. Anderson said Maryland's move last year to decriminalize possession of small amounts wasn't enough. Although police and prosecutors in Baltimore and a few counties are pursuing fewer marijuana cases, he said that's not the case everywhere around the state. "Marijuana isn't the drug people think it is," he said. Marijuana is still illegal under federal law. That casts a significant shadow on states' efforts to legalize it, particularly by restricting marijuana producers' and retailers' access to the federally regulated banking system. Some businesses have had trouble getting loans or making deposits at banks worried about repercussions. But with Congress unable or unwilling to change that, states are acting, said state Sen. Jamie Raskin, a Montgomery County Democrat who's the legalization bill's chief sponsor in that chamber. "Federal drug policy has been a total failure for decades now," he said, "and states are moving ahead." Anderson, Raskin and other supporters say they hope lawmakers will warm to the idea of legalization after hearing how other states are managing it and avoiding pitfalls. According to Singer, there's been no increase in teen marijuana use in Colorado since it was legalized, no increase in driving-while-impaired offenses and no jump in violent crime related to drug dealing. What's more, he said, it's brought $60 million in tax revenue to the state. Even so, Maryland Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller said he does not believe legislators are ready to approve legalization. "We're going to move forward with medical marijuana, try to solve people's aches and ills," said Miller, a Calvert County Democrat. "If it's a valuable resource for people with cancer, we're going to make it available to them. But in terms of making it available to the general public, I don't anticipate that happening any time soon." Lawmakers still have questions about keeping marijuana away from children and teens and how to end the black market in illegal pot sales, he said. "We still have a long way to go," Miller said. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom