Rick Steves on Legalizing Pot in Washington

Travel Blog  •  Jim Benning  •  11.11.12 | 10:31 PM ET

A few days before voters in Washingston state legalized marijuana for recreational use, Rick Steves wrote an op-ed in the Seattle Times in support of the measure.

Initiative 502 is not pro-pot. Rather, it’s anti-prohibition. We believe that, like the laws that criminalized alcohol back in the 1930s, our current laws against marijuana use are causing more harm to our society than the drug itself.

Marijuana is a drug. It’s not good for you. It can be addictive. But marijuana is here to stay. No amount of wishing will bring us a utopian drug-free society.

Not surprisingly, in the days since the passage of these laws in Washington and Colorado, some have wondered if we’ll see the dawn of American marijuana tourism.



5 Comments for Rick Steves on Legalizing Pot in Washington

India Tour 11.17.12 | 4:59 AM ET

Marijuana is just like poison. We should all kept away from it.

Jesse 11.21.12 | 1:59 AM ET

That would be a weird notion to be discussed and cook inside the center for governance state of D.C>

Paul Krol 11.26.12 | 1:53 PM ET

like most controversial subjects this one is definitely in the grey zone.  The best thing to do is not go too much too the right or left. Everything in moderation, I guess.

Samuel Jeffery 12.11.12 | 2:53 AM ET

I disagree with those who say ‘addicts’ will increase with the changes in laws.  Those who wanted to do it before did and those who want to do it after will continue.

Claude Monroe 01.10.13 | 2:41 AM ET

An interesting idea, but I feel legalizing a drug has no real long term benefit. If you take the example of Amsterdam in Th Netherlands, the cafes are full of drug tourists, although I say live and let live, does this really bring a benefit to a city? They tend to spend most of the trip sat in a cafe smoking.

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