Initiative to legalize 大麻 will go to Washington voters 

"If passed, Initiative 502 would make Washington the first state to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. It would place the state at odds with federal law, which bans marijuana use of all kinds."

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Speaking at a joint House and Senate work session Thursday, backers of the measure said it would allow the state to regulate marijuana use, raise tax revenues and squeeze the powerful drug cartels controlling the black market.

"Locking people up and putting handcuffs on them is not the way to resolve our society's issues with regard to marijuana," said John McKay, a former U.S. attorney for Seattle who has become an outspoken advocate for marijuana legalization.

Charles Mandigo, the former head of the Seattle FBI office, also spoke in favor of the measure.

"It is the money, not the drugs, that drive these criminal organizations and street gangs," Mandigo said. "Take away the money and you take away the criminal element."

McKay and Mandigo conceded that getting criminals out of the marijuana business would take time.

Opponents said legalization would likely increase marijuana use by teenagers, and they questioned whether criminal gangs would be seriously impacted.

"There is a thriving industry in place," said Steve Freng, a federal official helping coordinate Washington state's drug prevention and treatment efforts. "It's silly to think the cartels will simply pack up and leave the state with their tails between their legs."