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Despite enforcing marijuana laws being among the Seattle Police Department’s “lowest priorities,” Mayor Mike McGinn wants folks to know cannabis is still a crime.

“Everybody needs to understand something else, too, which is, in fact, it’s still against the law. Changes in the law have to come from the federal or state level, they can’t come from the city level,” McGinn said. “We kind of put officers in a funny situation. We’re asked to make something a low priority but they are still in a position of following the law…I guess, I would say, just because it’s the lowest enforcement priority, to members of the public, it’s still against the law. You’d do everybody a favor if you don’t light up in front of a police officer.”

That’s probably sound advice. According to the mayor, in a study of 6,500 incident reports, only 6 incidents listed marijuana as the reason for contact – meaning cannabis is just not that big of a problem in Seattle. This also attests to the fact that marijuana is not the cause of much crime; there aren’t a lot of “stoner” fights or public disturbances.

Fortunately many towns and cities around the country have taken this approach – even if it is an unwritten convention. But that’s not enough. Until marijuana is completely legal, our work is not done. Freedom is freedom, and cannot be parsed out like a buffet dinner.

- Joe Klare