The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.
© Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Washington state issues marijuana shop licenses
By GENE JOHNSON SEATTLE©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
8 Comments
Login to comment
SenseNotSoCommon
Sense at last.
HonestDictator
Washington just wanted to wait and see what would happen in Colorado before they fully took the plunge. In one way I'm glad that instead of all the tokers running from other states to CO, they'll start heading towards WA too.
SenseNotSoCommon
Assuming that demand for marijuana is a given, let's compare this legal trade with a kid selling ounces of weed on a street corner.
One entrepreneur runs a regular business, hires staff, pays taxes, controls quality. The other entrepreneur is prey to the unscrupulous, who are keen to graduate him and his onto more profitable substances.
Just as a brewer might service the demand for beer, both are simply satisfying demand, except that the shop doesn't have an escalator leading to harder drugs upstairs, and doesn't need the threat of violence to enjoy competitive advantage.
Which business model makes the more sense?
diane fears
I wish that Pennsylvania would do the same thing Harrisburg doesn't know how much money can get by selling grass in stores.
Disillusioned
As it should be all over the world. The amount of money, crime and police man hours associated with illegal pot sales is astounding. Legalising pot will reduce the use of other more harmful drugs and eliminate that synthetic rubbish. The war on drugs has been going on for over a century and they are not winning. Too many people are getting rich at the expense of stupid government legislation instead of freeing up the cops to do real police work and taking revenue from the sale of it. It just makes perfect sense. We are talking about pot, which has been smoked for centuries. It's no where near as harmful as tobacco, but that stuff is sold everywhere.
Novenachama
This seems to be a controversial topic because not everyone supports recreational marijuana shops. Some feel that it is irresponsible and reckless. I understand the treatment, educator and law enforcement people are afraid of the consequences in terms of the social cost including the criminality. Some claim that in other parts of the world where this experiment has been tested it has failed time and time again. I would like to get some feedback on this issue. Why are some people so afraid of this in America? I'm interested in hearing the other side of the story.
lostrune2
Well, the Colorado residents have been more satisfied with their experiment:
http://www.businessinsider.com/poll-marijuana-legalization-in-colorado-2014-3
John Galt
Much better would be to legalize growing one's own, like any other herb. But at least it's a step in the right direction... towards liberty!