Another Reason Seattle Rocks

Seattle police are getting innovative with their messaging to spread the word about the phased-in rollout of legalized marijuana in Washington, according the Seattle website the Stranger. At an upcoming Hempfest, the cops will be handing out bags of chips to stoners with info on the bags about how the law works. I mean, next thing you know, they’ll be jamming with the bands onstage….nah, never happen. Cops really are giving munchies to potheads in Seattle.

In a quote that sounds straight from the Onion, a police spokesman put it this way:

“Distributing salty snacks at a festival celebrating hemp, I think, is deliberately ironic enough that people will accept them in good humor,” says police department spokesman Sergeant Sean Whitcomb. “We want to make sure people learn the rules and that they respect the vote.”

Right now, the law says that potheads in Washington can possess an ounce of it at a time, but can’t hold more until the state’s licensing program kicks in provisions for sanctioned distributors. The cops have set up an FAQ after the Hempfest so smokers will know their rights. I’m sure concertgoers’ attention will be really sharp by that point.

The Seattle Police are being a lot more responsive about the rollout of Washington’s marijuana legalization law than some other branches of government. Technically, they could ticket people for smoking in public, according to state law, but they are just warning folks and asking them to put out their joints. That’s better than the Seattle city council, which is busy crafting a new law to create a municipal ticket for smoking up in public, which makes the council look like grumpy old men in comparison to these hip cops.

As a bonus timewaster for getting to the end of this article, enjoy this very square 1978 trailer for the granddaddy of stoner comedies, Cheech and Chong: Up in Smoke. Perhaps a van made out of marijuana exceeds the legal limits of Washington’s pot laws?