Rick Steves talks pro-pot, encourages passage of I-502

Travel guru Rick Steves’ latest tour isn’t to some far flung European town, it’s all over Washington state to promote passage of the ballot measure to legalize marijuana.

Steves, a co-sponsor of Initiative 502, stopped by the Ross and Burbank Show to discuss the measure and why he’s focused so much of his energy on the effort.

Steves says it’s not about promoting pot use, but rather opposing a bad law.

“We think it’s a drug, it’s not healthy, it’s not good for you, it can be addictive. But we think that it is smart to take the crime out of the equation and treat its abuse as a health challenge and an education challenge,” he says.

Steves argues its clear that marijuana prohibition has failed, creating a multi-million dollar black market where only criminals profit. He frequently cites a recent state study finding Washington would raise about $500 million each year from the regulation, sale, and taxation of marijuana.

“This is every year income for the state. Forty percent will go to the general fund, 60 percent will go dedicated to drug education, drug treatment and health concerns,” Steves says.

“The money’s already being spent. It’s just empowering and enriching gangs and organized crime and people can be in denial about that, but this is a big business.”

Some critics warn legalizing marijuana would encourage broader use and increase abuse, especially by young people. But Steves argues numerous studies in countries that have decriminalized marijuana have found no correlation between stiffer penalties and consumption rates.

The measure has also drawn criticism from some who argue it too stiffly applies DUI laws, threatening anyone who uses the drug with prosecution because it can linger in the blood far longer than alcohol. But Steves counters the measure needs to be strict and should treat ‘driving while high’ as seriously as drunk driving.

“If you go outside, and whether you’re drunk or high or whatever and you break something or if you drive your car under the influence, they should throw the book at you,” he says. “Initiative 502 is very concerned about public safety and a big part of that is safety on the roads.”

The measure has drawn significant backing from across the political spectrum, from the NAACP to the King County Sheriff. And Steves points to supporters such as former Republican U.S. Attorney John McKay as proof it’s a safe and sound approach to an issue that won’t go away, even if people want it to.

“These aren’t heads. I mean none of my friends are smoking pot in this thing. We care about a law that’s as damaging to our society as prohibition against alcohol was two generations ago,” he says. “When he [McKay] writes an editorial, he says ‘I think people who smoke pot are idiots, but I think our law needs to be looked at.'”

Steves says current polling shows 57 percent of voters support the measure, but he’ll continue campaigning tirelessly until the election. And if it passes, he’s hopeful the federal government will honor the will of the people even though using and selling pot remains a federal crime.

“I believe that this is a beautiful thing, the way our society’s designed where states are incubators for change and always we’ve got to tweak our rules and things change.”