Washington state voters legalized marijuana last fall, but the drug still remains illegal under federal law. Most of Washington’s congressional members, including Rep. Dave Reichert and Sen. Patty Murry, have not been supportive of I-502. On the other hand, Rep. Denny Heck of Olympia is co-sponsoring a bill that would allow banks to handle transactions for marijuana businesses without being subject to federal charges. Rep. Heck discusses the proposal with The Conversation’s David Hyde.
Washington became one of the first states to legalize marijuana for recreational use in 2012. But there are a lot of challenges ahead: the state must set up a licensing system for marijuana growers and sellers, the federal government may mount a challenge, the need to set a new limit on amount of marijuana in the bloodstream for safe driving. And medical marijuana is still in the picture.Over the next several months we will be exploring the issue and tracking the impact of I-502.
Rep. Denny Heck’s Bill Would Protect Wash. Banks From Pot Prosecution
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