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Ferguson said he and Inslee emphasized their deadlines to Holder, timelines that would allow the legal purchase of marijuana by the end of the year. (AP Photo/File)

AG Ferguson ready to defend Washington's pot law

BY Alyssa Kleven  on March 7, 2013 @ 10:08 am (Updated: 10:54 am - 3/7/13 )

Attorney General Eric Holder and his team have been reviewing the voter approved marijuana legalization laws in Washington and Colorado since they passed in November.

Still, despite the two states moving forward in with their processes to legalize pot and ex-DEA heads coming out of the woodwork to vocalize their dissent, the AG's office has remained quiet.

In January, Washington's Attorney General Bob Ferguson, and Governor Jay Inslee met with Holder to specifically address the future of legalized marijuana in Washington.

"It was a real conversation. He was very engaged. He asked a large number of questions about our initiative in Washington state," Ferguson told Jason Rantz on KIRO Radio's Andrew Walsh Show.

Ferguson said he and Inslee emphasized their deadlines to Holder, timelines that would allow the legal purchase of marijuana by the end of the year.

"Our goal is to meet those deadlines and that will take a lot of work. It won't be easy I just want to make sure that he knew things were going to start happening quickly here in Washington state and that's really why we want to get some feedback from the federal government on what their intentions are."

But so far - no feedback. Although Holder said their review is "winding down," no other official statement has been made.

That hasn't stopped Ferguson from preparing himself and his office in case the federal government sues.

Ferguson said they are prepared to defend the will of the voters, and at their meeting he made sure Holder understood that clearly.

Alyssa Kleven, MyNorthwest.com Editor
Alyssa Kleven is an editor and content producer at MyNorthwest.com. She enjoys doting over her adorable dachshund Winnie - named for Arcade Fire front-man Win Butler.
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Comments (34)


  • Add A Comment

  • hpitantso wrote...
    God created marijuana
    March 7, 2013 6:15 pm
    Not man and man's laws shouldn't have effect on this plant or who smokes it
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • BeenThere wrote...
    hpitantso.....Unless there is $$$$$$$ to be made.
    March 7, 2013 7:51 pm
    Then you can bet the State will find a way to control it, regulate it and most importantly, tax it. Drug dealers, I mean the State, will do whatever it takes to separate you from your money and say things like "defend the will of the people". Translated this means, we are so incompetent managing revenue that we need to sell pot to pay for public schools. Beautiful.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • vern ivan wrote...
    Can't know :
    March 7, 2013 7:03 pm
    Can't know what the problem is. Marijauna has been (defacto) legal For quite some time. Since the discovery. A few thousand years I would say. The distribution system has worked pretty well since then. Without oversight of the "government" Well except the trivial arrests for possesion an/or distribution. Typical political soup now will enter the picture. Legal to have but the pundits forgot to address the potentials. So now they back track. Guess thats what keeps them in office. Quackin'. If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and sounds like a duck you can be pretty sure its a duck.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • hpitantso wrote...
    BeenThere wrote...$$$$ for state
    March 7, 2013 11:56 pm
    That's truth
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    DonVigo
    March 8, 2013 2:19 am
    Who are you? Another Seattle Dbag clone?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    I will ask this question again.
    March 8, 2013 2:25 am
    Will the state's AG defend the Second Amendment, the will of the people, as much as he promises to defend the use of Weed?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • William Lawn wrote...
    OK, idiot, I'll put this to you real slow
    March 8, 2013 10:10 am
    Why or even how could a State AG "defend" an amendment to the FEDERAL Constitution?

    They might challenge a law based on constitutional issues but no law has been passed recently that has anything to do with the second amendment.

    The pot law is a STATE law, just like the 2/3 majority was a STATE law.

    There is no "defending" the 2/3 majority, it has been already overturned by the STATE Supreme Court.

    It violated the STATE Constitution.

    To reinstate it the STATE Constitution must be amended.

    Are you seeing a pattern here, moron?

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    Are you seeing a pattern here, moron?
    March 12, 2013 3:55 pm
    Yea I am seeing you spewing too much of your Flounder.

    You appear to have a basic grasp of how this works. MJ may be legal but it is not written into the Constitution. My gun rights are the Second Amendment. That being said (Slowly for you!)would he work as hard to protect the US Constitution as he would for Pot? Even alcohol?

    How about it Flounder wannabe?

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }