WASHINGTON ASSOCIATION OF SHERIFFS & POLICE CHIEFS 3060 Willamette Drive NE Lacey, WA 98516 ~ Phone: (360) 486-2380 ~ Fax: (360) 486-2381 ~ Website: www.waspc.org Serving the Law Enforcement Community and the Citizens of Washington September 26, 2017 Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board PO Box 43080 Olympia, WA 98504 RE: Marijuana Home Grows Feedback Chair Rushford, and Members of the Board: On behalf of the members of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC), I would like to share our feedback regarding your study and recommendations to the Legislature on marijuana plant possession and cultivations by recreational marijuana users. WASPC recommends that the Board endorse Option 3 – Continue to prohibit recreational home grows. WASPC remains concerned about the effects of recreational marijuana on public safety, particularly children. Initiative 502 was presented to the voters of this state as a secure and tightly regulated state system of producers, processors and retailers – a system that would ensure ‘seed to sale’ traceability. The Legislature authorized strictly regulated “cooperatives” specifically for medical marijuana patients who could not be properly served by a retailer with a medical endorsement. Legalizing recreational home grows would dilute the effectiveness of this tightly controlled system, significantly increasing the likelihood of marijuana getting into the hands of children. Initiative 502 was also presented to the voters of this state as a mechanism to raise additional state and local revenues from the tax generated from legal sales of marijuana. While local law enforcement has not seen the benefits of these additional revenues the state has enjoyed, legalizing home grows of recreational marijuana threatens the state’s attempted monopoly on the marijuana market and the hundreds of millions of dollars in additional revenues that the state enjoys each year. While certainly not immune from the criminal element of our society, the current system of commercial marijuana grows ensures necessary security precautions to be taken to lessen the risk of theft, burglary and robbery. Legalizing recreational home grows of marijuana creates a greater likelihood that private homes, which do not have the same security precautions as licensed commercial marijuana businesses, will be at greater risk of theft, burglary and robbery. President BRIAN BURNETT Sheriff—Chelan County President Elect KEN THOMAS Chief--Kent Vice President JOHN SNAZA Sheriff—Thurston County Past President KEN HOHENBERG Chief--Kennewick Treasurer BRIAN WINTER Sheriff—Yakima County DUSTY PIERPOINT Chief – Lacey RONNIE ROBERTS Chief--Olympia Executive Board STEVE STRACHAN Chief – Bremerton BILL BENEDICT Sheriff – Clallam County JOHN TURNER Sheriff – Walla Walla County RICK SCOTT Sheriff—Grays Harbor County MARK COUEY Director—OIC Criminal Investigations Unit JOHN BATISTE Chief – WA State Patrol JAY TABB SAC – FBI, Seattle MITCH BARKER Executive Director Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board September 26, 2017 Page 2 Given the potential consequences of legalizing recreational marijuana home grows, and the lack of any positive outcome of such a proposal, WASPC recommends that the Board endorse Option 3 – Continue to prohibit recreational home grows. Thank you for the opportunity to provide comments. Sincerely, Mitch Barker Executive Director MB:dg