Editor,
I just finished reading about the moratorium on marijuana in The Record. This moratorium looks to me like the commissioners are looking for a way to nullify the law that passed, by the initiative process, that legalizes the production and sale of marijuana for recreation. This law was passed by a majority of voters, not our state Legislature, so there can be no doubt about the desires of the people of Washington State for the legalization of marijuana.
Now the Island County Commissioners want to either delay the inevitable or want to try to keep production and retailing out of Island County by imposing a moratorium which may keep any production and retailing out of the county until more permits are issued by the state.
Our county commissioners are intelligent people and should have been at least as prepared as King County. There must be communication between the officials of different counties and I cannot believe our commissioners did not talk with other county officials about how to implement their law.
Once again it appears that people in power who are not happy with a law passed by their fellow citizens are trying to do whatever they can to not comply with the law.
And it’s not just the county commissioners. Island County Sheriff Mark Brown is quoted in the South Whidbey Record saying that he is concerned about burglaries. I don’t hear anything about putting moratoriums on jewelry stores because of concerns about burglaries. Or liquor stores for that matter. I think Sheriff Brown is not being honest about the real reasons for his concerns.
And just to be clear, this new law will have no direct effect on me. I do not use marijuana in any form and will not now that it is legal. Nor will I be producing or selling marijuana and any related products. My drug of choice, and make no mistake it is a drug, is alcohol. And there is no doubt that alcohol is a more dangerous drug than marijuana.
ERIC SNOW
Clinton