Marijuana - A budget solution?

Would the financial worries of governments in Washington go up in smoke if citizens or legislators decide to legalize marijuana?

Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson, D-Seattle, told the state House of Representatives last week the state could reap as much as $300 million in taxes and fees every biennium by legalizing the drug and regulating its growth and sales.

Dickerson introduced House Bill 2401, which would legalize marijuana, which Sheriff Brett Myers said is “the most prevalent drug we find” on the Palouse.

Myers was skeptical about Dickerson’s revenue figure, saying more marijuana use could increase crimes and cost taxpayers more for law enforcement.

“I would think that, in the end, the net result to the taxpayers would be an increase,” he said. “If we say it’s okay to smoke marijuana, would we have more people willing to drive high? Would we have people using it at the park or at a bar? There’s a whole list of things that would cause us to do more.”

Dickerson is also a co-sponsor of House Bill 1177, which would turn possession into a civil matter, similar to a traffic ticket.

Douglas Hiatt, a Seattle attorney who represents medical marijuana patients, said it’s time to legalize marijuana.

Hiatt is a member of Sensible Washington, a group of citizens that filed a ballot initiative last week to legalize possession, manufacturing and sale of marijuana by adults. Hiatt said volunteers lined up to collect signatures to get the measure on the ballot.

“We read all the time that the state is struggling to balance its budget,” Hiatt told the Gazette in a telephone interview. “I think it would be a big help if we could cut out the police, court and jail costs of enforcing a federal prohibition. Not to mention the revenue that would come in from taxes.”

But local officials, struggling to manage a widening deficit between spending and revenue, said it would not be worth the revenue.

“I think it’s the wrong way to go,” said Commissioner Greg Partch. “As a society, it isn’t worth it to legalize drugs just so you can tax them. What are these legislators doing with this? They need to focus on this budget mess.”

Other local officials questioned how much savings would actually be realized by relaxing the state’s marijuana laws.

Whitman County Prosecutor Denis Tracy said most adults caught in possession of marijuana under marijuana laws are written a ticket, sent before a judge and issued a fine, which goes into the county’s crime victim fund.

“We really try to divert those convictions here in Whitman County,” Tracy said. “I don’t know that would save all that much in police and court resources.”

In 2009, Whitman County charged 243 people with possession of marijuana. The year before, 261 faced marijuana charges.

Those numbers did not take into account the result of those charges, or whether defendants pleaded guilty and opted to enter drug counseling.

In most cases, marijuana offenders are put on probation and have their case deferred for a year. If they can pass that year without being caught again, or without having a positive result in a urine test, the charges are wiped off their records.

Sheriff Myers said rarely does anyone stay in the county jail on possession charges.

“Very few,” he said. “Unless someone is dealing. But even then, they rarely spend much time in here.”

Alcohol, a legal drug, is more often to blame for crimes in Whitman County. Most domestic violence calls involve alcohol, said Myers, and most traffic fatalities result from drunken driving.

“What are the costs that come with the legalization of drugs?” he asked.

In most cases, he said, drug incarceration statistics are exaggerated. Most inmates booked on marijuana charges are also involved in a number of criminal activities; they just happened to have been convicted of possession or distribution.

“It’s a difficult issue, and is something I think is definitely concerning to society in general,” said Myers. “It’s a big change. Are we ready to take that step?”

Hiatt believes the answer is yes.

“Look, it’s time for this state to assert its rights,” he said. “It’s the federal government’s law. If they want it enforced, they need to enforce it.”

The House Committee on Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness was scheduled to discuss the bills in an executive session yesterday. The committee is expected to vote next week.

The initiative needs 241,000 signatures to make the November ballot.