Washington prosecutor dismisses all pending marijuana cases

Dan Satterberg

It’s the rarity of seeing prosecutors do the right thing, especially when they don’t have any legal obligation to do so, that makes this report all the more awesome:

King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg has dismissed all misdemeanor marijuana possession cases currently pending in Washington’s largest county.

Taking action following Tuesday’s landmark vote on marijuana legalization, Satterberg said there would be “no point” in continuing to prosecute the 175 people currently facing misdemeanor charges of marijuana possession.

Friday’s announcement followed the passage of Initiative 502, which legalized marijuana possession of one ounce or less in Washington State. The law also called for a legal framework under which marijuana could be grown and sold; both those activities remain illegal outside the medical marijuana industry.

[…]

“Although the effective date of I-502 is not until Dec. 6, there is no point in continuing to seek criminal penalties for conduct that will be legal next month,” Satterberg said in a statement.

Better yet, we can (hopefully) expect the same to happen in Colorado before too long. And eventually, everywhere else.

(via @drgrist; RT: @radleybalko)