Re: “Save marijuana licenses for those who play by the rules” (editorial, 3-21).

I think the paper needs to rethink its opinion on marijuana licenses. House Bill 2000 would change a few sections of the voter-approved Initiative 502. At this point in time, the feds have approached the marijuana initiative in a wait-and-see mode. To me this means that so far we are not doing anything that they see as a major problem.

Yes, the Liquor Control Board needs to show how it’s going to regulate the whole process, but with those rules, the feds can mandate changes, not …

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I commend The News Tribune for publishing a picture on Page 1 (TNT, 2-22) of Jason Gutz of Safe Streets. He spoke before the Washington State Liquor Control Board about kids’ safety with the coming legal production and sale of marijuana.

It was ironic that the headline above the photo and story read, “Pot retailers, enthusiasts speak to board about I-502.” I got the impression from the photo caption that Gutz might not have been the most enthusiastic person addressing the board last week.

I was disappointed that the article did not contain any details about Gutz and his …

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I am very proud of the state of Washington for passing Initiative 502 regarding marijuana. Not only will it pump funds into the system, both from the 25 percent excise tax and from overhead savings, but also because it will create a balanced approach to drug abuse prevention.

It moves marijuana from being a “forbidden fruit” for some and makes it something that people can be educated on and choose what is best for them and their family. Keeping in mind that many citizens with chronic pain or ailments choose to use marijuana as an alternative medicine, the initiative provides …

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In response to the passage of Initiative 502, a recent letter writer (TNT, 11-9) suggested we should change the state’s moniker of “The Evergreen State” to “The EverWeed State.” I thought that was humorous and mused that maybe, back in 1933 when alcohol prohibition ended, we should have made the state’s nickname “The Shot-and-a-Beer State.”

While it’s fun to make cute jokes about the much-needed passage of I-502, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is not laughing. The DEA’s very existence depends on substances being banned for the public. The DEA’s salaries, pensions, prestige, health care and other benefits depend …

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I grew up in the Evergreen State, thankful for the green beauty around me, but now I’m ashamed to be a part of the “EverWeed” State.

Did the proponents of the marijuana legalization movement think about how they would regulate second hand smoke?

Did they think about the children who will grow up with second hand smoke in their homes?

Did they think about the infants who will be exposed to marijuana in the womb, at birth, and throughout their childhood and into adulthood?

Did they think about the affect this will have on our school system, which has already …

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I don’t necessarily have a problem with legalizing marijuana for recreational use, but Initiative 502 as written has too many flaws and unknowns. For example, how does one determine whether another is driving under the influence, when blood tests positive for use 30 days after consumption? There is no “min-max” for pot like there is with alcohol.

I may support a law that legalizes recreational marijuana as long as it has a caveat that there will be zero tolerance of anyone getting high and driving a motor vehicle. But again, how do you prove when is the last time someone …

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Initiative 502 on the Nov. 6 ballot seeks to legalize marijuana use, with limits, for people over 21. Private stores, producers and processors would be licensed to sell marijuana.  The intent is to utilize sale profits for economic and educational improvements, but it negatively impacts youth.

As of May 16, the Seattle area has 685 homeless youth, with an estimated 1,000 between the ages of 13 and 25 living doubled-up, in shelters and in transitional housing, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness. The approval of I-502 would be a disservice to this population, as the Alcohol and Drug …

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In the last century, our nation enacted a constitutional amendment to ban alcohol. Although the law was well-intentioned, we can look back on this act now as a dreadful mistake. Not only did it make criminals out of ordinary citizens who attempted to enjoy alcoholic beverages as they had done for years, it also brought us the scourge of organized crime. We are still suffering from the effects of the advent of the latter.

Eventually in 1933, Prohibition was repealed. But in 1937, our nation enacted another prohibition against a naturally occurring weed, marijuana. In my view, this newer prohibition …

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