Still trying to decide among Apple, Benn, Oyler, Riccelli and Snyder?
Tuesday is the last chance to mail your Washington primary ballot. If you live in central Spokane and are having a hard time deciding who to choose among the five candidates for the position 1 House seat in the 3rd Legislative District, try studying their stances on 15 issues in the following links:
And here are their responses to one of the questions The Spokesman-Review questionnaire:
8. Do you support the legalization of marijuana for adults, including for recreational purposes? If not, do you support the legalization of marijuana for medical use? How would you address the conflict that currently exists between state law allowing marijuana for medical use and federal law banning it?
Apple: Yes, the public’s high rate of use makes it difficult to do otherwise. I would recognize the use as a state’s right in advocating for public consumption. Besides, I believe the voters of the State should decide and we will see if this item makes it to the ballot.
Benn: I do not support legalizing something that is still illegal on a federal level, thus causing more conflicts and wasted time, money and resources on both the state and federal level. It seems that this is a federal decision not a state decision.
Oyler: I strongly support the use of medical marijuana for patients in need. However, under current federal law, the State of Washington cannot legalize marijuana. I would advocate for comprehensive drug reform at the federal level. Fundamentally, I believe that drug abuse should be treated as a public health issue rather than a criminal justice issue.
Riccelli: As a start, I think we should decriminalize the use of marijuana. We face an overcrowded prison population and skyrocketing costs of incarceration. I support the legalization of marijuana for medical use. I think as a start the Drug Enforcement Administration should legalize marijuana for medical purposes and reclassify marijuana so it can be prescribed by doctors and administered by pharmacists. People suffering from serious medical conditions that can benefit from the medical use of cannabis should be able to obtain their medications in a way that can be verified as safe and consistent by a healthcare professional.
Snyder: As a Spokane City Council Member, I co-sponsored and wrote a City Council resolution requesting that the federal government reclassify medical marijuana from a schedule one drug to a lower classification. I think we need to pressure the federal government for clarity on this issue so that our state and local governments have more power to make and enforce local laws. I do not support Initiative 502.
