Seattle Hempfest is an annual event in the city of Seattle,Washington advocating the legalization of cannabis. Vivian McPeak serves as the organization's executive director. Founded in 1991 as the Washington Hemp Expo,a self-described "humble gathering of stoners" attended by only 500 people,and renamed the following year as Hempfest,it has grown into a three-day annual political rally,concert,and arts and crafts fair with attendance typically over 100,000. Speakers have included Seattle city council member Nick Licata,actor/activist Woody Harrelson (2004),travel writer and TV host Rick Steves (2007),(2010),2012 Green Party speaker Jill Stein,Dallas Cowboys center Mark Stepnoski (2003),and former chief of the Seattle Police Department Norm Stamper (2006). Hempfest has also in recent years attracted such well-known performers as Fishbone (2002),The Kottonmouth Kings (2004),Rehab (2006),and Pato Banton (2007) to its five stages spread throughout Myrtle Edwards Park and Elliott Bay Park,on Seattle's waterfront.
The Seattle Police Department (SPD) is the principal law enforcement agency of the city of Seattle,Washington,United States,except for the campus of the University of Washington,which is under the responsibility of its own police department.
Since the 1970s,the college town of Ann Arbor,Michigan,has enacted some of the most lenient laws on marijuana possession in the United States. These include measures approved in a 1971 city-council ordinance,a 1974 voter referendum making possession of small amounts of the substance merely a civil infraction subject to a small fine,and a 2004 referendum on the use of medical marijuana. The passage of the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act in November 2018 has made recreational marijuana legal not only in Ann Arbor but throughout the entire state.
Cannabis in Oregon is legal for both medical and recreational use. In recent decades,the U.S. state of Oregon has had a number of legislative,legal,and cultural events surrounding use of cannabis. Oregon was the first state to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of cannabis,and among the first to authorize its use for medical purposes. An attempt to recriminalize possession of small amounts of cannabis was turned down by Oregon voters in 1997.
Richard Gil Kerlikowske is a former Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. He assumed office on March 6,2014 and retired January 20,2017. He also served as the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy between 2009 and 2014.
Michael McGinn is an American lawyer and politician. He served as mayor of the city of Seattle,Washington,and is a neighborhood activist and a former State Chair of the Sierra Club.
Initiative 1068 was a proposed initiative for the November 2010 Washington state general election that would have removed criminal penalties from the adult use,possession,and cultivation of marijuana in Washington. Sponsored by Vivian McPeak,Douglass Hiatt,Jeffrey Steinborn,Philip Dawdy,initiative I-1068 sought to legalize marijuana by removing marijuana offenses from the state's controlled substances act,but failed to gather enough signatures to qualify for the ballot.
California Proposition 19 was a ballot initiative on the November 2,2010,statewide ballot. It was defeated,with 53.5% of California voters voting "No" and 46.5% voting "Yes." If passed,it would have legalized various marijuana-related activities,allowed local governments to regulate these activities,permitted local governments to impose and collect marijuana-related fees and taxes,and authorized various criminal and civil penalties. In March 2010,it qualified to be on the November statewide ballot. The proposition required a simple majority in order to pass,and would have taken effect the day after the election. Yes on 19 was the official advocacy group for the initiative and California Public Safety Institute:No On Proposition 19 was the official opposition group.
Washington Initiative 502 (I-502) "on marijuana reform" was an initiative to the Washington State Legislature,which appeared on the November 2012 general ballot,passing by a margin of approximately 56 to 44 percent. Originally submitted to the Washington Secretary of State during the summer of 2011,enough signatures were collected and submitted by December to meet the required 241,153 signatures,sending it to the legislature. When the legislature adjourned without action in April,Initiative 502 automatically advanced to the November 2012 general ballot. It was approved by popular vote on November 6,and took effect over the course of a year,beginning with certification no later than December 6,2012. Along with a similar Colorado measure,Initiative 502 was credited for encouraging voter turnout of 81%,the highest in the nation.
The legal history of cannabis in the United States began with state-level prohibition in the early 20th century,with the first major federal limitations occurring in 1937. Starting with Oregon in 1973,individual states began to liberalize cannabis laws through decriminalization. In 1996,California became the first state to legalize medical cannabis,sparking a trend that spread to a majority of states by 2016. In 2012,Washington and Colorado became the first states to legalize cannabis for recreational use.
The Seattle City Attorney is a non-partisan elected official in Seattle,Washington whose job is to "prosecute people for misdemeanor offenses,defend the city against lawsuits,and gives legal advice to the city". Since 2022,the position has been held by Ann Davison.
Cannabis in Arkansas is illegal for recreational use. First-time possession of up to four ounces (110 g) is punished with a fine of up to $2,500,imprisonment of up to a year,and a mandatory six month driver's license suspension. Medical use was legalized in 2016 by way of a ballot measure to amend the state constitution.
Cannabis in North Dakota is legal for medical use but illegal for recreational use. Since 2019 however,possession under a 1/2 ounce has been decriminalized in the sense that there is no threat of jail time,though a criminal infraction fine up to $1,000 still applies. The cultivation of hemp is currently legal in North Dakota. In November 2018,the state's voters voted on recreational marijuana legalization,along with Michigan;the measure was rejected 59% to 41%. Two groups attempted to put marijuana legalization measures on the June 2020 Primary and the November 2020 elections,but were prevented from doing so by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Maine Question 1,formally An Act to Legalize Marijuana,is a citizen-initiated referendum question that qualified for the Maine November 8,2016 statewide ballot. It was qualified for the ballot after a Maine Superior Court judge ordered that petitions rejected by the Maine Secretary of State be reconsidered. The proposal sought to legalize the recreational use of marijuana in Maine for those over the age of 21,and institute a 10 percent tax on its sale. As the Maine Legislature and Governor Paul LePage declined to enact the proposal as written,it appeared on the ballot along with elections for President of the United States,Maine's two U.S. House seats,the Legislature,other statewide ballot questions,and various local elections.
The Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA) was a 2016 voter initiative to legalize cannabis in California. The full name is the Control,Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act. The initiative passed with 57% voter approval and became law on November 9,2016,leading to recreational cannabis sales in California by January 2018.
Cannabis in Arizona is legal for recreational use. A 2020 initiative to legalize recreational use passed with 60% of the vote. Possession and cultivation of recreational cannabis became legal on November 30,2020,with the first state-licensed sales occurring on January 22,2021.
Cannabis in Ohio is legal for recreational use. Issue 2,a ballot measure to legalize recreational use,passed by a 57–43 margin on November 7,2023. Possession and personal cultivation of cannabis became legal on December 7,2023,with the first licensed sales yet to occur under the law. Prior to legalization,Ohio decriminalized possession of up 100 grams in 1975,with several of the state's major cities later enacting further reforms.
Cannabis in Washington relates to a number of legislative,legal,and cultural events surrounding the use of cannabis. On December 6,2012,Washington became the first U.S. state to legalize recreational use of marijuana and the first to allow recreational marijuana sales,alongside Colorado. The state had previously legalized medical marijuana in 1998. Under state law,cannabis is legal for medical purposes and for any purpose by adults over 21.
Evergreen:The Road to Legalization is a 2013 documentary film directed by Riley Morton about the U.S. state of Washington's passage of an initiative decriminalizing recreational cannabis. The film was written by Nils Cowan and features defense lawyer Doug Hiatt,American Civil Liberties Union lawyer Alison Holcomb,Pete Holmes,John McKay,initiative opponent Steve Sarich,and Rick Steves.
Arizona Proposition 207 was a voter initiative that appeared on the November 3,2020,Arizona general election ballot to legalize cannabis for recreational use. Passing with 60% of the vote,the initiative legalized the possession of up to an ounce of cannabis,licensed sales at dispensaries,and personal cultivation of up to six plants. Along with Montana,New Jersey and South Dakota,Arizona is one of four states that legalized recreational marijuana via ballot measures in 2020.
