slimvictor
Bluelight Crew
As Washington weighs its first chance to legalize recreational marijuana, prominent groups are taking sides about the initiative's potential impact on children.
Initiative 502 got an unexpected vote of confidence from the Children's Alliance, a Seattle-based advocacy group with more than 100 social-service agencies as members.
After five months of debate, the Alliance's board voted to endorse I-502 for a specific reason: Children in minority households pay "a terrible price" for racially biased enforcement of marijuana laws, said Jon Gould, the group's deputy director.
"The status quo is not working for children, particularly children of color," he said. "Public policy ought to move us further toward racial equity and justice, and Initiative 502 is one step forward to that."
The endorsement may help the I-502 campaign rebut the contention — leveled Monday by a group of substance-abuse treatment providers — that more young people will use marijuana if Washington voters approve the measure.
cont at
http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2019119493_endorsement11.html
Initiative 502 got an unexpected vote of confidence from the Children's Alliance, a Seattle-based advocacy group with more than 100 social-service agencies as members.
After five months of debate, the Alliance's board voted to endorse I-502 for a specific reason: Children in minority households pay "a terrible price" for racially biased enforcement of marijuana laws, said Jon Gould, the group's deputy director.
"The status quo is not working for children, particularly children of color," he said. "Public policy ought to move us further toward racial equity and justice, and Initiative 502 is one step forward to that."
The endorsement may help the I-502 campaign rebut the contention — leveled Monday by a group of substance-abuse treatment providers — that more young people will use marijuana if Washington voters approve the measure.
cont at
http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2019119493_endorsement11.html
