Seattle police taking passage of I-75 seriously'but there is still work to be done

Published: October 22, 2004

The reforms brought about by the voter-approved I-75, which made marijuana the city's lowest law-enforcement priority, are having a noticeable effect in Seattle.

According to the most recent available statistics, for the first six months of 2004, the city prosecuted just 18 cases of marijuana possession compared with roughly 70 during the same time period last year. This figure represents a roughly 75 percent reduction in prosecutions, and it signals that Seattle police and prosecutors are taking voters' wishes—as expressed in the landslide victory of I-75—seriously.

To ensure continued reform, please attend the meetings of the Marijuana Policy Review Panel, established by I-75. The meetings are open to the public and grant an historic opportunity to help Seattle pioneer sensible marijuana policy.

The panel has met several times already, and its next meeting is scheduled for October 25, at 5:30 p.m., in City Hall room 370. If you can't attend the meeting, please pass this message on to someone who can.

In addition, you can visit http://www.cityofseattle.net/council/mpp for future meeting times and to learn more about the panel. I-75 was placed on the ballot by the Sensible Seattle Coalition and was supported by several state legislators, the King County Bar Association, the Seattle League of Women Voters, and the Washington state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.

Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project. Please bookmark www.mpp.org/WA and check often for updates and news about marijuana policy reform in Washington.