Washington's marijuana reform initiative, I-502, is now officially sent to the local legislature, and with that, it can be signed into law or kicked around to the people in various voting formats. Russ Belville of NORML weighed-in on I-502 and the concept of whether any reform is good reform, and what the initiative would mean for Washington residents.

I-502 states that people over the age of 21 would be allowed to buy medical marijuana through state Liquor Control Board licensed-and-regulated stores only. "Production and processing" would also be regulated tightly by the Liquor Control Board, and the "per se" DUID limit for adults 21+ would be 5 ng/mL of THC in the bloodstream. There would also be a zero-tolerance policy for people under 18.

Belville has established a list of three heirarchical conditions that he feels are essential to the legalization of marijuana. Basically, an adult must be allowed to possess marijuana, cultivate marijuana, and not be discriminated against because of it. What Belville points out is that I-502, marijuana users would be discriminated against. Belville claims that I-502 off of the public's fear of having someone driving impaired, a fear which can trick residents into voting away freedoms

"So do we continue to sacrifice every marijuana smoker to the injustice of merely having any pot anywhere," asks Belville, "to save the tiny minority of marijuana smokers from the injustice of merely having a certain amount of pot in their system while they’re driving?"

Read the rest of Belville's argument and research at his NORML blog.