Last week, the Washington State Supreme Court issued a decision that so far overstepped the boundaries of its own authority that I’m shocked the legislature or governor didn’t have something to say about it. But unfortunately, this is the new reality, ever since the Democrat leaders who control our legislature and Governor’s Mansion started a stealth campaign to legalize all drugs.
The Court’s 5-4 decision essentially invalidated all Washington State laws involving the possession of hard drugs, while mocking federal controlled substance rules and guidelines. They put Washington on the same playing field as Oregon when it comes to keeping narcotics and controlled substances on the streets. In fact, as I write this, police departments across our state are no longer arresting people for possession of drugs.
The decision essentially says that one cannot be arrested for drugs because they may not know that they have drugs on them. In other words, it would be unconstitutional to prosecute one for drug possession because drugs could have been unknowingly planted on that person by someone else.
So now, all one has to do to avoid arrest for possession of narcotics is to say that they didn’t know they had it on them. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to know how this is going to play out on the streets and in our schools.
How do you think drug dealers and cartels are handling this news?
This ruling was not an accident. Legislators in Washington’s Democratic majorities have been aggressively pressing legislation to accomplish the same outcomes with HB1499. But they never even had to give the public a chance to fully weigh in on the proposal because the Washington State Supreme Court made the decision for them. This is a prime example of judicial activism, and it highlights an enormous problem and emerging trend in the United States.
Hard drugs – cocaine, heroin, meth, and many more – the things that ruin lives, pull families apart – have been prohibited by law for centuries for some very good reasons. They hurt and kill people. Our cities are already overrun by people with very serious addictions. Legalizing possession of drugs will make even more difficult to start the process of getting those addicted individuals into meaningful rehabilitation programs. Expect the violent drug industry, along with the hardcore homeless living in homeless tent encampments to explode across our state.
Even worse, children and small independent business will especially suffer. Washingtonians deserve better than to be left to a world where there are no consequences for drug dealers. Kids deserve better than to live in a place where their own government, for all practical purposes, says drugs aren’t all that bad.
Data, best practices, and common-sense morality should drive the way that our state addresses drug policies – not another group of judges acting as radical partisan legislators, inventing new laws to harm people. Sadly, Washington State has abandoned the rule of law and morality again, thus more people and children will die. Frankly, our state is becoming a death trap for children.
Actions must have consequences. Drug users and dealers must not escape justice or treatment that saves them by simply pleading ignorance. If you have a problem with this ruling, as I do, I urge you to call your legislators and tell them very directly that you do not believe it is right or appropriate that hard drugs should be allowed on the streets. Urge them to pass legislation to fix the State Supreme Court’s decision and give police authority to get drug users and dealers into court or into treatment.
