AS LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA GAINS NEW GROUND, KNOW HOW THE LAW MAY APPLY TO YOU

As of last week, residents of Alaska and Washington D.C. have joined the growing numbers of Americans who are enjoying legal recreational Marijuana. As legalization becomes more widespread, it is a good opportunity to remember how the law applies in Washington State. Since Marijuana was legalized in Washington State in 2012, there has been a …

How legitimate are the legal limits for marijuana when it comes to determining driving impairment?  Not very – according to a recent study. The Seattle Times published an article this week discussing a study conducted by AAA. The study reports that marijuana DUI convictions are based on arbitrary state standards that are not actually connected to …

Washington State has new rules for electronic cigarettes, with a dual goal of targeting public vaping of marijuana. The Chronicle describes concern about teenage use of handheld vaporizers to evade marijuana laws. In Washington State, people 21 and over can possess up to an ounce of marijuana (usable/dried). People 21 and over may also possess 16 ounces …

City Council approved rules this week that would allow more legal pot shops in Seattle. The Seattle Times describes the new proposal, driven by Mayor Ed Murray. Seattle will reduce some of the buffer zones, which are state-imposed and restrict pot businesses’ proximity to sensitive areas (parks, arcades, etc.). City Council agreed to reduce these buffers from …

A Seattle Times article published last week describes data that shows marijuana has increased as a factor in fatal crashes in Washington State. New data was collected from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission. Correlation between marijuana use and fatal crashes increased significantly in 2014. The number of drivers involved in deadly crashes who were shown to have THC …