Global Ganja Report

Prosecutors in Washington's King and Pierce counties are dismissing more than 220 misdemeanor marijuana cases in response to last week's vote to legalize small quantities of cannabis. In King County, 175 cases have been dismissed involving possession of one ounce or less. I-502 makes one ounce legal on Dec. 6, but King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg decided to apply I-502 retroactively.  "Although the effective date of I-502 is not until December 6, there is no point in continuing to seek criminal penalties for conduct that will be legal next month," Satterberg said in a statement.

Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist said he was dismissing "about four dozen" pending cases where misdemeanor marijuana was the only offense. He said his staff will continue to prosecute other cases where possession was secondary to a more serious charge, such as drunken driving.  "The people have spoken through this initiative,” said Lindquist. "And as a practical matter, I don't think you could sell a simple marijuana case to a jury after this initiative passed." (Seattle Times, Nov. 9)

Photo: Themadpothead

Follow @GlobalGanjaRpt