I would like to spend the semester reporting on drug and
alcohol policy at both the university and state levels. State recreational
marijuana legalization has spurred a ripple of newsworthy stories in areas ranging
from agricultural production techniques to safety and infrastructural issues.
It also has birthed several local-level political battles in counties and
municipalities that have attempted to not recognize or delay the state-passed
initiative. It will also be interesting to see how legal marijuana affects WSU
policies in the coming year. Multiple dispensaries are set to open within a
close vicinity of campus in the coming months.
One potentially interesting story could be further tracking the
process of the three stores zoned to open in Pullman and the fourth zoned for
elsewhere in Whitman County. Another interesting story would be investigating
what regulatory framework Pullman and Whitman County are putting in place to
govern the safety and fire codes of growing, processing and retail marijuana
operations. A third interesting story would be reporting on the financial
methods these retail operations will use to protect themselves since there are
a very limited number of banking options available.
Since the 1930’s, the US government has imprisoned countless
people and spent billions on enforcing criminal penalties for the possession
and distribution of marijuana and other drugs. Because of these continued costs,
the “hard on drugs” national policy and law enforcement approach has become
increasingly unpopular among the American people in recent years, and the
ballots are starting to reflect this trend. Marijuana legalization is an
important topic because Washington’s policy is essentially unprecedented and
trailblazing. Besides Uruguay and the state of Colorado (both governments also
legalized in recent years), Washington is the only region in the world where marijuana
is legal for recreational purposes. Any issue or feature with the burgeoning
state system is a spotlight into one of the globe’s drug policy guinea pigs. It
also has immense local importance. A legal marijuana trade in Pullman will affect
local law enforcement, local agriculture and the municipal economy.
The main focus of my beat will be on reporting on local
aspects of the marijuana marketplace, both recreational and medicinal. I have
included alcohol policy as part of my beat because it is also in a time of flux
in Washington and the current marijuana market mirrors what the alcohol system
looked like three years ago.
Relevant Articles
Sources:
Gary Jenkins¸ Pullman
Chief of Police
(509) 334-0802
Brian E. Smith, Communications
Director, Washington Liquor Control Board
(360) 664-1774
Pete Dickinson, Pullman
Planning Director
(509) 338-3213
Deborah Baker (interviewed), Associate Director of Student Standards and Accountability
(509) 335-4532
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