Washington was the first to legalize recreational cannabis back in 2012. Voters approved Initiative 502 with 55.7% in favor. It made Washington, along with Colorado, which voted to legalize recreational use at the same time, a trailbreaker when it comes to cannabis.
Washington was progressive back then. We aren't anymore.
We've basically been stuck in the mud ever since.
Almost half of the country has followed suit since Washington and Colorado broke through to legalize cannabis. As of now, 24 states and Washington, D.C. have legalized recreational cannabis, and more than half of the nation's population lives where recreational cannabis is legal.
But in once trailblazing Washington, we live with cannabis regulations that are over a decade old.
In Washington, you cannot deliver cannabis. Other states now allow an UberEats style of cannabis delivery. Not here.
In Washington, there are no weed bars. It is legal to possess and consume cannabis, just like alcohol, but you can't serve it like a cocktail. That is, for some reason, illegal.
In the state that pioneered legalizing cannabis, we still treat cannabis the way we did in 2012 even though it is now 2024. We went from leading the way to being incredibly behind the times.
Washington's conservative cannabis laws made sense once upon a time, when the state was breaking new ground, but now we are left behind. Two dozen states have followed our lead in legalizing cannabis, and many have gone even further.
Our neighbors to the south in Oregon allow cannabis delivery.
In Washington, you can have alcohol delivered to your house. You can't have cannabis delivered though.
In New Mexico, you can visit a cannabis lounge and smoke weed like you would drink beer at a bar. In Washington, no luck. As far as our state is concerned, the only place you can consume cannabis is on your property behind closed doors.
Washington is a shining beacon when it comes to cannabis policy in many ways. Our state's regulations have almost entirely eliminated the illegal market. In that regard we've done fantastic work.
Otherwise, we're a decade behind.
Once upon a time, Washington laid the groundwork for cannabis policy in the United States. It did a good job, too. But in the decade since, we have fallen behind. Other states are now not only pushing boundaries, but succeeding in their policies.
Washington, meanwhile, flounders as if it is still 2012. ♦
