Seattle Times, 09 Nov 2012 – Prosecutors and police in Washington moved Friday to swiftly back away from enforcing marijuana prohibition, even though the drug remains illegal for another month. On Friday, the elected prosecutors of King and Pierce counties, the state’s two largest, announced they will dismiss more than 220 pending misdemeanor marijuana-possession cases, retroactively applying provisions of Initiative 502 that kick in Dec. 6.

Seattle Times, 08 Nov 2012 – A naturopath lost her license to practice medicine for two years for improperly doling out medical-marijuana authorizations at last year’s Hempfest in Seattle. If Carolyn Lee Bearss wants her credentials reinstated, she must also pay a $50,000 fine — higher than the typical fine due to the egregiousness of the conduct, said Department of Health spokesman Tim Church.

Globe and Mail, 08 Nov 2012 – Seattle – British Columbia’s multibillion-dollar marijuana industry could take a "significant" blow now that two U.S. states — including its closest neighbour to the south — have voted to legalize marijuana. The political consequences of the Washington State and Colorado referendums remain to be seen. In Seattle, advocates hailed the vote as a major breakthrough after decades of effort, although the U.S. Department of Justice could still intervene. In Canada, marijuana opponents proclaimed the beginning of the end for Ottawa’s drug policies — a view the federal Justice Ministry was quick to reject.

Seattle Times, 08 Nov 2012 – Washington’s grand social experiment with marijuana legalization begins Dec. 6 with a simple step: On that date, it is legal to have an ounce of the stuff, and there is little the federal government can do about it. But how the state takes the next big step – transforming the marijuana black market into a closed, regulated and taxed marketplace – is unclear. And the federal government didn’t help clarify its potential response on Wednesday.

DrugSense

The Herald, 08 Nov 2012 – MUKILTEO — People started coming into the medical marijuana co-op in Mukilteo on Election Day asking the same question: "Can I buy pot now?" "There’s obviously a bit of confusion," said Jeremy Kelsey, owner of the Medical Marijuana Patients Network.

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DrugSense

Seattle Times, 07 Nov 2012 – State Makes History As Voters Approve I-502 Washington enthusiastically leapt into history Tuesday, becoming the first state, with Colorado, to reject federal drug-control policy and legalize recreational marijuana use.

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