New Side-Effect of Washington’s Marijuana Law: Youth Possession Now a Felony
By Associated Press
A prosecutor in southeastern Washington has charged three teens with felonies for marijuana po
ssession, saying a new law demands the higher level of offense.
The Lewiston Tribune in Idaho reports (http://goo.gl/g8Xhpl) three teens ages 14, 15 and 17 have been charged in nearby Asotin County, Wash., with felonies that could net them up to five years in prison.
The offense was previously a misdemeanor with a maximum 90-day jail sentence.
Asotin County prosecutor Ben Nichols says Senate Bill 5052 contains the new language.
The bill’s sponsor, Republican state Sen. Ann Rivers of La Center, Wash., says the tougher penalty was designed to deter minors from trying an adult drug.
A spokesman for Gov. Jay Inslee says the provision is an unintended consequence of a law focused on regulating the state’s medical marijuana system.
AronHoffstrom
wow really from a misdemeanor to a felony what kind of law is that if medical passed there you think all the marihuana laws would be lower if before was misdemeanor and 90 days should just be a ticket and fine washington keep them regulations to itself bull shittt
David
AronHoffstrom : Washington State legislators acted as if they’d rather be drowning kittens in a burlap sack than regulating medical marijuana. The Republicans nuts who just came to power in 2014 believe in MMJ about as much as Climate Change Zero. Voting matters. This is what happens when people don’t vote and allow a small minoreity of hater’s to run things. UGH!
Jethro
Why don’t they just tie them up and burn them at the stake. If they are convicted ( no jury would dare) it would be like the same thing. If they survive federal juvenile prison ( is there such a thing?) their lives and families will have already been done irrepairable harm. More than likely they will come out worse than they went in, drug addicted heinous criminals!
C’MON YOU FUCKING ASSHOLES. THEY ARE JUST KIDS EXPERIMENTING, just like YOU did when you were kids. DONT even LIE and say you didn’t. Get the fuck down off your high horse and stop wasting the taxpayers money and time on bullshit cases like these. Why don’t you go and prosecute some REAL criminals , you know, murderers, rapists, perverts and child molesters? Oh , to much work? Yeah, thought so! Easier to hang some poor kids out to dry caus your all butt hurt your favorite money making criminal offense is now legal and you don’t get to bust kids for easy profit anymore. You pathetic ,control freaks! Seek psychiatric help immediately before you are dragged out of your houses and hanged for the lowlife scumbags you are! Seriously!
David
We have to send a message to our kids: This will hurt you in more ways than one if you decide to participate,” Rivers said.
An Inslee spokeswoman told The Tribune, however, the felony charge for minors is not what he intended in a law focused on regulating the state’s medical marijuana system.
“I can only tell you that this was not the intention that the governor had when working with legislators on this bill,” Inslee spokeswoman Jaime Smith said.
Smith said parties had agreed at the time that keeping marijuana out of the hands of minors was a priority, “but there are other ways to do that without charging them with felonies.”
The governor can’t change the law himself, but lawmakers could when they meet for the 2016 legislative session.
Rick Laws, an Asotin County public defender who represents one of the juveniles, said that doesn’t help his client in the meantime.
“That’s an awfully high price for a few people to have to pay for faulty legislative work,” he said.
Nichols said if the law is changed, anyone convicted would have to return to court and ask to have that conviction vacated.
David
Jethro:
I blame Washington voters, or rather the lack of voters who failed to fill out and mail-in voter ballots in 2014. I’m an old guy and seen all to often how evil shit happens every time people don’t participate and. vote.
tristen pinson
Come on though. A felony? That’s comolete over kill by far
vickia52
wtf! you treat mj as though they committed murder! What’s wrong with all these so called leaders in our country? spineless cowards, come out of your hypocritic mindsets! you folks are as bad as the cartel! if it isn’t one way it’s another. you think mj is worse than 5 years in prison, for kids? what right have these morons got to do such harm? we should take back our country from these idiots. they vote themselves raises! they smoke drink and have a merry time at our cost!!!!!! it’s time for a change! the needs of the many out weigh the needs of the few!
David
Vickia52:Here is the rest of the article above, about Gov. Inslee abd that Evil Republican witch Anne River’s
“We have to send a message to our kids: This will hurt you in more ways than one if you decide to participate,” Rivers said.
An Inslee spokeswoman told The Tribune, however, the felony charge for minors is not what he intended in a law focused on regulating the state’s medical marijuana system.
“I can only tell you that this was not the intention that the governor had when working with legislators on this bill,” Inslee spokeswoman Jaime Smith said.
Smith said parties had agreed at the time that keeping marijuana out of the hands of minors was a priority, “but there are other ways to do that without charging them with felonies.”
The governor can’t change the law himself, but lawmakers could when they meet for the 2016 legislative session.
Rick Laws, an Asotin County public defender who represents one of the juveniles, said that doesn’t help his client in the meantime.
“That’s an awfully high price for a few people to have to pay for faulty legislative work,” he said.
Nichols said if the law is changed, anyone convicted would have to return to court and ask to have that conviction vacated.
So the good news: The Governor will bend some arms to get the law changed. But as mentioned avbove that’s not until 2016. The Newly elected Republicen WA. State Senate (The first in 40 years) so bungled this. They had secret meeting with law-enforcement. This is what happens when voter don’t turn out during mid-term elections.
madame7
This is an abuse of power to say the least. And shameful–alcohol is the most dangerous LEGAL drug kids can get their hands on today, and if they are going to make marijuana possession a felony offense for minors, then they should follow suit with alcohol possession. Deterring kids from drinking would actually save lives, which would be a worthy cause for such Draconian prosecution.
surestroke
This looks like another clear call for JURY NULLIFICATION. If anything in the bill was not what he intended, why did he sign it into law? Or, if juvenile felonies were his only reservation, could he not have used a line-item veto? Seems to have worked well enough for his predecessor.
Governor Jay Inslee is, no matter how he weasels, ultimately responsible for this miserable law. Nobody tricked him, nor forced him into signing SB 5052 into law. If he cannot persuade the prosecutor/court to drop charges, and a jury does not nullify, Governor Jay Inslee could- should he so desire- ” man-up”, use his executive powers, and make any conviction just go away.
Regardless of the outcome of this unnecessary, ruthless, spiteful mess, please remember those responsible for it, and elect replacements for them.
David
Surestroke: A The Washington State Senate legislature flipped Republican for the first time in o30 years. This due to an historic low Mid-Term election turn out in 2014. For example the key voter’s 18-29 voted less than 16 % (this with a mail-in ballot system, that’s pretty f’n bad) The new crop of Tea-Party Republicans, came mostly from small rural, cannabis hating villages and towns.
Now, suddenly they had their cannabis hating wet- dreams fulfilled completely. They were now the political party responsible for crafting WA. state MMJ Regulations. The Republicans have had a Bulls-Eye set on MMJ since it was passed by voters in 1998. So ,What happened to these Minor Children is actually is a result of the Republican signed by a weakened Governor and Democratic State House of Representatives. This terrible law’s author, Senator Anne River’s (R) La-Center, cold-blooded response to these Minor Children’s plight. She displayed ZERO concern how this will ruin their lives forever.
I find River’s response to the effects of her law on minors particularly ghoulish and chilling, and even slightly evil. Inslee panicked
and would have signed anything placed in front of him, Colonel Potter style by sessions end. Gov. Inslee did Veto a few harsh provisions the cop-lobby really wanted badly ,such as eliminating patient co-ops grow’s with Collective’s. He vetoed the collectives. Whatever the result this was a horrible law, designed by a cold-blooded heartless human-being. There will be lawsuits galore. The new Republican Senate with this and the 100,000 a day fine for failing to fund education K-12 in Washington proves the Republicans even after 40 years wandering in the Washington wilderness are completely unable to govern.
ramonda Johnson
This is just wrong! Besides, this new law is not slated to take effect until July 2016. Seems this prosecutor is getting ahead of him or her self.
calicorock
I’ve lived in Washington for most of my life. And I have never talked with or seen so many people moving , or preparing to move to another State. Senator Anne River’s (R) La Center WA. declared a war on children Washington.with her law. Not sure why the Governor missed this unless he didn’t read it until the moment he signed this dreadful woman’s Bill into State law. I have three family friends with Minor children the same ages of these kids facing 5 years in prison. Two of the three families decided yesterday to move to Oregon. They feel Washington has become a police-state now. I can’t I blame them because.I’d move out of Washington if I still had minor children too because of this tragedy and how little the State seems to care about ruining their lives forever.
Senator River’s and Governor Inslee will soon understand that huge number’s of good middle-class families are leaving Washington forever, in order to protect their children from possibly ending up in prison for just being kids. So I suppose a mass migration out of State is also an “unintended consequence” of this half-assed legislation written by a criminally inept State legislature.
Big~B 4:20
The laws are going backwards. They (The government) refuses to listen to our vote!!! Check out http://www.wrif.com for Nightcall with Peter Werbe and Juline Jordan!!!!!! Tonight at 11:00 PM.PT. Big~B 4:20 & “”THE DETROIT 4:20 SHOW”” STOP THE KILLING!!! NOW!!! One <3!!! 9/20/2015///4:20.AM.PT.
John
We, the people, should put an end to all this bullshit done for the wrong reasons. This is not about marijuana. This is about budget benefits, special interest and political favors. This issue should be the one where we stand up and start saying…..”enough.” We already have too much “caca de toro” in government Where is the media. Where is the truth,
Big~B 4:20
WE still have no control over our medicine. Our Government refuses to hear the will of the people!!! Check out http://www.wrif.com for Nightcall with Peter Werbe and Juline Jordan!!!!!! Tonight at 11:00 PM.PT. Big~B 4:20 & “”THE DETROIT 4:20 SHOW”” STOP THE KILLING!!! NOW!!! One <3!!! 9/20/2015///4:20.AM.PT.
vickia52
apparently there is support for the prisons, this is sad, just $, if this is all the better our politicians can do! and what about the drug rehab programs !!!!! more$
calicorock
Vickia52 This happened because Washington voters ever mid-term election fail to vote. This has lead to let;s just say an over abundance
of idiot’s stooges and moron’s brought to power by an angry minority. Bad things always happen when citizens don’t vote and end up with a legislature 5 steps behind voters.
scott
since cannabis, tobacco and alcohol are legal for adults in Washington then is it a felony for Youth’s (minors) if they are busted with tobacco or alcohol do they have a felony charge???? If not then high times and NORML legal teams need to file discrimination litigation in court.
vickia52
there getting more time than 33 yr old Trendon Shavers from McKinney,Tx , for bilking roughly 100 investors, a ponzi schme, while with Bitcom!!!!! 3 vyears is what has been said and repayment of about 41 million.
Now tell me, do these teens deserve time in a prison with hardened individuals, for weed? our so called leaders are self serving.
Ed
I hope to help others understand MARIJUANA. I have a 5.5 brain injury that it is HEALING. It is THC that helps deliver the “blood” that carries the CBD’s that HEALS !
I “know” who I am. The great great great grandson of BLACK ELK, brother to SITTING BULL ~ I do not want to break laws and become ILLEGAL, but what do you do when the only thing that TRULY is helping my brain injury HEAL and not just “cope” with it ?
I messed up I know this !
I took it upon myself to find a way to get better and you want to take this AWAY from me and make me PAY for it again ?
I know full and well that I am putting my life at risk, but HEALING EARTH is why I returned!
\
On 08-30-2008 I wrecked my motorbike with no helmet on. It killed me 3 times in life flight putting me into an 87 day coma waking with a recorded 5.5 brain injury requiring me to go through rehabs relearning life. Once I returned home I had a friend ask me to get a medical card and try CANNABIS. I was amazed because not only did my memories start returning but my thought process was working again. This made me research why. I found that THC reduces blood vessels while making the heart pump harder making blood go to the injured brain. Head rushes are proof.
I have proven that GOLD can be made and that would make the USA “debt” FREE ! The meteorite metal that does this was used LONG ago to retrieve DC power from around earth
The DC electricity is called ATMOSPHERIC ENERGY & COPPER “TRANSITIONS” into GOLD