Bizarre Marijuana Bill Debated in Olympia Includes Provision for BANNING Pot

House Bill 1461 is a mix-and-match combination of 18 previous House bills dealing with pot. One part would lessen some marijuana restrictions, but another would nullify I-502 entirely. Confusing?

Tuesday in Olympia, the House Committee on Commerce and Gaming is looking over this offering from Democratic Representative Christopher Hurst of Pierce County. It reportedly includes bits and pieces of 18 previous bills considered by the legislature. The purpose, near as we can tell, is to allow legislators to look over these ideas, and keep or discard which ones they want.

According to The Stranger online newspaper from Seattle, here's a few of the ideas from the bill:

• Allow cities and counties to ban pot sales and stores (like Yakima County, Richland, Pasco and Kennewick etc) only by public vote -- not the majority decision of city councils or county commissioners.
• Allow cities to vote if they want to change the existing 1,000-foot buffer zone between pot stores and schools, parks, etc, to only 500 feet.
• It redefines the term "public place" as to where you can legally smoke pot so it matches current rules for alcohol.
• It requires a new contract between the Liquor Control Board and local law enforcement to eradicate illegal pot growing operations.
• Pot seized by law enforcement from illegal growing and selling operations could be auctioned off to pot store owners, with the enforcement agency who seized it keeping the cash...wow!
• And finally, Part 17 of the 18 part bill would completely repeal ALL of I-502 and only allow marijuana in pill form to patients 21 and older.