Mexico Lawmakers Push for Decrim, WA Lawmakers Attack MMJ… Again.

In an interesting comparison, left-wing lawmakers in Mexico introduced legislation to decriminalize cannabis. The aim of this legislation is to curb cartel violence by eliminating the black market around cannabis. Furthering the 2009 partial decriminalization bill, this new legislation would allow for the use of medical marijuana and would increase the “personal use” amount from 5 to 30 grams. Additionally, it aims to create so-called “tolerance zones” where cannabis retain and use would be allowed along with reducing judicial punishment for marijuana use. They are doing all this to stop the waste and violence that goes into fighting the cartels. I hope some of our “on-the-fence” states here in the US will pay attention to that.

Conversely, here in Washington where MMJ has been legal for more than a decade and recreational use has been legalized, state lawmakers are likely to impose steep strictures on the benign local MMJ communities. They are voting to reduce allowable amounts, reduce the amount of home-grown cannabis you can personally cultivate, and (what I think is the worst change) they are requiring all MMJ patients to register with a state-operated database. This is such bullshit. What about doctor/patient confidentiality? How is it not a brash violation of civil rights to demand sick people register with the state? Are we cattle to be tracked and tagged for research? What possible good reason is there for this database? It’s not like we’re sex offenders.

In a place that has some of the worst drug violence on the planet, they are struggling to remove the laws and restrictions around cannabis in an effort to take the power out of the hands of the cartels. Here in Washington, they are trying to impose nonsensical regulations on MMJ for no other reason than they are afraid of losing revenue. Basically, the state is thinking like a cartel. They see MMJ as competition and, since they have all the power, see no reason not to get greedy.

What a strange world we live in.