4 businesses offer support to marijuana-initiative drive

Time’s running out for initiatives to get enough signatures to make the statewide ballot. Those who support Initiative 1068 to decriminalize adult use of marijuana are trying one last big push to get more names: The new print edition of The Stranger, 80,000 copies, is supposed to have an I-1068 petition in each and every one. So organizers hope that each reader will sign, and gather some signatures, and drop off the petitions ASAP. They say 2 West Seattle and 2 White Center businesses have agreed to be dropoff spots for the petitions; click ahead for the locations and hours, as sent in organizers’ announcement:

Mountain To Sound Outfitters
3602 SW Alaska St.
Open Mon-Wed 11 am-6 PM; Thur-Fri 11 am-7 PM; Sat 10 am-6P M; Sun 11 am-4 pm

Red Cup Espresso
4451 California Ave. SW
Open weekdays 6 am-5 pm; Sat 7 am-4 pm; Sun 8 am-3 pm

Big Al Brewing
9832 14th Avenue Southwest
Open Wed 3 pm-9 pm; Thu 3 pm-9 pm; Fri-Sat 3 pm-11 pm; Sun 12 pm-5 pm

Full Tilt Ice Cream
9629 16th Ave Sw
Open 12 pm-10 pm Tues-Sat. 12 pm-9 pm Sunday, Closed Monday

Carson June 23, 2010 (6:05 am)

Looks like 4 Great Businesses to support!! Bravo

kayakalki June 23, 2010 (6:54 am)

Speaking to a King County Prosecutor recently, I heard stories of the number of people locked up for marijuana related crimes. Overcrowded jails are a direct result of this issue!
I for one would rather see our tax budgets spent on transportation, education, and drug recovery efforts rather than supporting an expensive legal and enforcement machine designed to self perpetuate itself.

Dave June 23, 2010 (8:03 am)

Here Here, the drug war is over and the drugs won, we need to accept this as a country and start making tax revenue from their sale.

J June 23, 2010 (9:07 am)

I’m disappointed they’re focusing on this initiative, instead of 1098, which will make a much bigger difference overall.

Richard June 23, 2010 (9:18 am)

Excellent!

M June 23, 2010 (10:00 am)

Probably alot harder to get signatures with all the hullabaloo about making them public after the R-71 deal. AND the Stranger is one pushing for it. Can’t blame someone for not signing an initiative if their name will be googled with the word marijuana next to it. Not good on a Job search….

Amanda June 23, 2010 (10:01 am)

Sign it! Send it in, then get beer, coffee or ice cream. Maybe a kayak too!

Harry June 23, 2010 (10:02 am)

Great move by these businesses. This is hardly a “radical” or fringe issue any more. Increasingly leaders in mainstream political circles are seeing that ending mj prohibition is the only sane policy on this matter: http://www.publicola.net/2010/06/21/for-reasons-i-could-not-fathom/#comments

Ken June 23, 2010 (10:12 am)

J, what is Initiative 1098 about and why is it better? (I know I could Google it myself and find out, but since you brought it up, seems to make sense to continue the discussion here…)

Sra June 23, 2010 (10:20 am)

J, this is not I-1098’s strategy for getting signatures. They have lots of money and paid signature gatherers. I-1068 is all volunteers and these businesses are simply helping collect signed petitions result from the Stranger. I also completely disagree that this doesn’t affect many people. I’ve read that 12,000+ people are arrested in WA each year and millions live in fear of arrest. Plus more than $100,000,000 are spent on marijuana law enforcement yearly. That’s tax money that could be better spent elsewhere.

Sra June 23, 2010 (10:49 am)

M, the Stranger is not “pushing” this. Money was raised through many small donations via a facebook drive.

Also, your concern seems pretty ridiculous. I’ve collected more than 100 signatures from people from a huge range of professional backgrounds and political persuasions…not a single person expressed your concern. (I did recently have a gal inquire how her boss could sign because he was “so supportive.” Told her about the stranger).

Howie in Seattle June 23, 2010 (12:30 pm)

Support these Westside businesses! They are being bold and are not intimidated by the old-fashioned “Reefer Madness” propaganda.

becky June 23, 2010 (12:33 pm)

Thanks to all these local businesses. I’ll definitely support them!

CandrewB June 23, 2010 (12:43 pm)

M’s concern is not ridiculous.

Carson June 23, 2010 (12:59 pm)

Then M shouldn’t sign. Solved that one easy enough. If you want to act like a legislator then get out of the closet.

Patricia June 23, 2010 (1:21 pm)

Hope we can get some Tacoma businesses to be drop off points, but if not, folks here can drop them off on Saturday at Tacoma’s first ever Hempfest. That’s this weekend, 9am – 9pm in Wright Park. There will be lots of info on where to sign and folks to take your signed petitions.

As for the signatures being public: there is a court case currently being waged about whether signatures are public or not. But you cannot go online and google “marijuana” (or anything else) and get lists of people who have signed this initiative. These petitions wlll be turned in to the Sec. of State’s office on July 2nd. They do not (as of now) post them online! They hardly have the staff to verify all the signatures in time for the November ballot!

So while none of us can guarantee that your signature will NEVER be available for someone to find some time in the future, if I-1068 gets on the ballot and passes, marijuana use, possession, cultivation, sale, etc. will be legal for adults in Washington State so it won’t affect your job prospects!! Let’s get this passed so people can stop worrying about losing their jobs for smoking a joint! Or even growing industrial hemp which could quite literally save the world! Well, okay, hemp AND mushrooms can save the world. But that’s another story.

Yardvark June 23, 2010 (1:52 pm)

Not another story at all, Patricia. Hemp AND mushrooms sounds like a great book title. Very closely related.

I’m glad to see so many folks standing up. Very glad also to see these businesses supporting what they believe in. I’m sure it’ll pay off. Smart folks running those places.

Where are the other West Seattle businesses?

Kirk June 23, 2010 (2:53 pm)

Right on to these great West Seattle businesses!
They deserve our support.

Kirk Prindle June 23, 2010 (3:01 pm)

And a special shout-out to Mountain to Sound/Alki Kayak Tours. Their commitment to social justice extends beyond I-1068 to environmental issues that are so important to our community. Thanks so much.

These guys know where they’re at and you should too. Support them with a kayak ride in the great weather. Thanks M2S

Craig S. Cohen, MD June 23, 2010 (6:52 pm)

As someone who witnesses the profound medical benefits of cannabis first-hand on a daily basis, I’m so proud to see these businesses of integrity who support this important effort.
Craig S. Cohen, MD
Board-certified emergency medicine specialist,
Recommending cannabis as medicine,
Los Angeles, CA
PS. Glad to answer any questions: 310-694-7308; craigmd1@me.com

Travis Bickle June 23, 2010 (7:39 pm)

Way to go West side Businesses! Im SO proud to live here. The folks at Red Cup Espresso are great people too! Im glad they are standing for something. Red Cup Repra’Zent! see ya tomorrow for my morning coffee! ;)

Kirk Prindle June 23, 2010 (11:12 pm)

Red Cup is over-the-top awesome! …in every respect. Check out their solar panels and talk to them about getting some for yourselves…while enjoying great people with great coffee.

Kirk Prindle June 23, 2010 (11:21 pm)

And let’s not forget Full Tilt Ice Cream – a prickly pair scoop on this beautiful day today…mmmmmmm – and Big Al’s Brewing. Great people create great businesses. Thanks from West Seattle.

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