Predictably, the journey to legalized marijuana in Washington has been accompanied by a few bumps in the road. Introducing an industry that produces more than $300 million in annual revenue is bound to create some unforeseen problems. But while the Vancouver City Council is wise to tap on the brakes of the local industry, the primary shortcomings with legalized recreational use for adults can be laid at the feet of the Legislature.
Among the concerns when voters approved Initiative 502 in 2012 was the need for efforts to limit illegal use of the drug by those under the age of 21. The measure, which passed with 56 percent of the statewide vote (it was narrowly opposed in Clark County), included safeguards to educate teenagers about the dangers the drug presents to still-developing minds.
Through I-502, voters approved money for the Department of Social and Health Services for programs “aimed at the prevention or reduction” of substance abuse among teenagers. They also earmarked funds for the Department of Health for a public-education campaign; money to help prevent students from dropping out of school; and revenue for marijuana research at the University of Washington and Washington State University.
Those funds have not materialized, as the budget passed by the Legislature in 2015 provided a small fraction of what was approved by the electorate. According to calculations by The Seattle Times, for example, Social and Health Services will be provided with only about half of what voters mandated because lawmakers, in a quest for a balanced budget, have raided the marijuana-tax coffers.