News reports about liquor privatization and DUI cases are misleading

The recent headline: Fall of DUI Cases Continues after Liquor Sales Privatization is misleading.  As is the case with most changes to public policy, it is difficult to make a direct correlation between the change in alcohol policy with a change in DUI cases within a year of the change taking place. 

Are police staffing issues related to a decrease in DUI arrests?

Most of the article states that the privatization of liquor sales after the passage of I-1183 has had no affect on arrests for driving under the influence (DUI).  However, when you reach the end of the article it states:

A spokesman for the state patrol urged caution about drawing correlations between DUI arrest and collision rates and broader public behavior.

"The biggest reason for arrest data to change is police staffing," said the patrol's Bob Calkins.

Did the increase in liquor prices affect consumption?

We know that the price of alcohol has an impact on how much is consumed.  Along with privatization, liquor prices in our state increased. It may be that the increase in price balanced with the increase in availability and prevented an increase in consumption. 

Do other new policies decrease the amount of time police spend on the roads?

A decrease in DUI arrests could mean that police officers don’t have the time to arrest more drunk/high drivers because of the time it takes for them to process each case.  From the time a person is pulled over for a possible DUI violation, it takes about four hours to process the DUI.  

Why does it take so long?  Watch this video to find out: 

• Recent legislation requires officers to impound vehicles, increasing the officer’s time on the DUI case because he/she has to wait for a tow truck.
• With marijuana related cases and breath test refusals, officers are encouraged to obtain blood tests.  This means that officers need to take DUI suspects to hospitals for blood draws.
• A recent court decision mandates that officers obtain warrants for each blood draw.  Contacting a judge, especially at night, adds a lot of time to the process.

Extra time spent processing a DUI means less time out on the road finding DUIs.

Will final numbers tell a different story?

DUI data for 2012 are still preliminary. For example, the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which tracks fatality collisions, is still receiving crash reports for 2012 and their data won’t be finalized until January 1, 2014.  Other data sources are the same – reporting and data analysis lag behind DUI incidents. 

Medical marijuana comments due November 8

Last week, the Liquor Control Board, in collaboration with the WA Department of Health and the WA Department of Revenue, released draft recommendations to submit to the legislature regarding the interaction of the two legal marijuana systems in our state -- medical and recreational.  Below are a few of the recommendations.

Age limits
~ Adults 18 to 20 years old should be allowed access to medical marijuana with proper authorization from a health care professional.

~ Children 17 years old or younger should be allowed access to medical marijuana with parent or guardian consent to authorization.  The parent or guardian should participate in the child's treatment.

~ Authorizing health care professionals should be required to engage in frequent re-examination and follow-up with a child patient and communication with the parent or guardian. 

~ The child's parent or guardian should be required to act as the child's designated provider and be entered in the registry as such.

~ The parent or guardian should have sole control over the child's medical marijuana.  The child should be allowed to posses no more medical marijuana than necessary for his or her next dose. 

~ Medical marijuana consumed in a school setting should be held and administered by school personnel in the same manner as any other medication.  Consistent with current law, schools should not be compelled to accommodate on-site use of medical marijuana on school grounds or school buses.  

~ Medical marijuana products should be prohibited from being labeled in a manner that mimics candy, soda or other treats attractive to kids.

Other recommendations include:
~ Establish a registry for patients and designated providers.
~ Better define "debilitating" and "intractable" pain.
~ Tight regulations on healthcare providers that authorize the use of medical marijuana.
~ Eliminate collective gardens.
~ Reduce amount of medical marijuana a person may possess.
~ Tight regulations on marketing.
~ Sell all marijuana in state-licensed (I-502) stores.
~ Exempt medical marijuana users from sales taxes.

Submit comments!
Read the drafted recommendations and share them with community members.  Educate your state legislators about your concerns.  Let the Liquor Control Board know what you think. Comments about the draft recommendations may be email to: medicalmarijuana@liq.wa.gov through November 8.  Final recommendations are expected to be released in December.

November legislative work sessions regarding alcohol & marijuana

In November, two legislative committees will meet to discuss issues related to state alcohol and marijuana policy.  Committee meetings are usually available to watch online at http://www.tvw.org/.

November 22, 1:30 p.m.

House Government Accountability & Oversight Committee Meeting

Agenda:

~ Streamlining Liquor License Issuance Fees & Taxes

~ Market Conditions and Impacts on Former Contract Liquor Stores & Former State Liquors

~ Update on I-502 Rulemaking by Liquor Control Board

November 22, 8:00 a.m.

Senate Commerce & Labor Committee Meeting

Agenda: Implementation of I-502

What does the latest Gallup poll say about marijuana policy?

A recent Gallup poll asked Americans, "Do you think the use of marijuana should be made legal, or not?" and 58% said yes.

Since the wording of the question asks about the use of marijuana, many Americans could be thinking that marijuana use should be decriminalized -- that people should not go to jail if they simply use marijuana.  This is different than full commercial legalization.

Gallup did not ask, "Do you think marijuana should be commercialized like alcohol and tobacco?"  Both (highly regulated) industries market to children and heavy users.  Is that what Americans want with marijuana, too?

The Gallup webpage about the poll concludes by stating:


It has been a long path toward majority acceptance of marijuana over the past 44 years, but Americans' support for legalization accelerated as the new millennium began. This acceptance of a substance that most people might have considered forbidden in the late 1960s and 1970s may be attributed to changing social mores and growing social acceptance. The increasing prevalence of medical marijuana as a socially acceptable way to alleviate symptoms of diseases such as arthritis, and as a way to mitigate side effects of chemotherapy, may have also contributed to Americans' growing support.

Whatever the reasons for Americans' greater acceptance of marijuana, it is likely that this momentum will spur further legalization efforts across the United States. Advocates of legalizing marijuana say taxing and regulating the drug could be financially beneficial to states and municipalities nationwide. But detractors such as law enforcement and substance abuse professionals have cited health risks including an increased heart rate, and respiratory and memory problems.

I bolded the last two sentences because they are especially relevant to substance abuse prevention advocates.

• As we know in our state, marijuana taxes are not going to be financially beneficial for municipalities.  In fact, municipalities are asking the state for more money to implement and enforce the new marijuana system.

• If the message that Gallup and others are receiving from substance abuse prevention advocates is that the reason we are against legalization is because of "increased heart rate, and respiratory and memory problems", we have a lot of work to do to get our messages out to the public.

Liquor Control Board adopts rules for new marijuana system

From the Liquor Control Board:

OLYMPIA – The Washington State Liquor Control Board (WSLCB) today filed the CR103 for Initiative 502.  Filing the CR103 is the formal procedure for adoption of the proposed rules for the implementation of I-502 and the final step in the rulemaking process. These rules will serve as the basis for Washington’s newly created recreational marijuana market and are the result of 10 months of research and public input. Thirty days after adoption the rules will become effective, November 16.

“Over these last several months have put together a comprehensive system of rules which will serve as the foundation for this new industry,” said Board Chair Sharon Foster. “This has been a very open process of rule-making with public involvement each strep of the way. We appreciate all the support and involvement we’ve had from Gov. Inslee, local officials, law enforcement, industry members and Washington citizens along the way.”

Later this month, to align with federal guidelines, agency staff will file emergency rulemaking to modify the way the 1,000 foot distance between marijuana locations and the listed exclusion zones is measured. The method of measuring will change from “most common path of travel” to “shortest straight line” from property line to property line.  

The agency will open a 30 day licensing window for all three license types (marijuana producer, processor and retailer) on November 18. The WSLCB’s Marijuana Licensing Unit is holding a series of seven educational seminars across the state to help potential applicants navigate the licensing process.  

For more information regarding the implementation of I-502 including summaries of the law and rules, answers to frequently asked questions, or to sign up for an educational seminar please visit the WSLCB website at www.liq.wa.gov