News

"WASHINGTON - The campaign behind a controversial initiative that would decriminalize personal amounts of almost all illegal drugs has ended its signature-gathering push to get the initiative on the Nov. 8 ballot....

"The campaign behind an effort to decriminalize drugs and expand treatment and recovery services in Washington State has halted its push to qualify an initiative for November’s ballot...

"This month, the National Center for Health Statistics reported that more than 100,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2021, a 14.9% upsurge from 2020. COVID-19 is believed to be part of the cause...

"Drug reform advocates have launched ballot initiative 1922, which will decriminalize possession of drugs and direct a portion of revenue from cannabis taxes to fund drug treatment and rehabilitation.

"Initiative Measure No. 1922 would decriminalize the possession of all illicit drugs in the state. Law enforcement officers would retain the authority to confiscate illicit drugs, and selling or delivering them would remain a crime....

"A coalition called Commit to Change WA is currently collecting signatures in order to get a ballot measure to decriminalize drugs on the ballot in November. Specifically, Initiative 1922 would still allow law enforcement to confiscate any illicit...

"A coalition of activists and public health leaders is working to get an initiative on Washington’s ballot that would decriminalize drug possession and redirect marijuana tax revenue to treatment programs. ...

"A look at the campaign to put drug decriminalization on the ballot this year." 

"A year after the Washington State Supreme Court’s Blake decision struck down the state’s felony drug possession law as unconstitutional, drug-reform advocates have proposed a ballot measure moving away from criminalizing drug use and instead focusing...

"Drug-reform advocates, doctors, and politicians have initiated a ballot measure, Initiative 1922, to remove the penalties for possessing drugs of any kind in the state of Washington, including cocaine, heroin, and hallucinogenic mushrooms.