(Dmytro “Henry” Aleksandrov, Headline USA) The Washington state legislature has decriminalized the possession of all illicit drugs.
Washington state lawmakers in the Democrat-controlled House and Senate were not able to reach an agreement on Senate Bill 5536 on Sunday, according to the Post Millennial. The bill would’ve provided harsher penalties for possession of illicit drugs.
Since legislators failed to reach an agreement, there will be no state law on the possession of illicit drugs after the current state law expires on July 1. Because of that, cities will now be forced to create their own laws that are related to the possession of drugs within their jurisdictions.
“In the absence of a Blake fix by the State, hard drugs such as meth, heroin & fentanyl will be legal in WA effective July 1,” Snohomish County Councilmember Nate Nehring wrote on Twitter.
Before the 2021 Washington State Supreme Court verdict in Blake vs. State of Washington which resulted in classifying the possession of drugs as unconstitutional due to both possession and unknowing possession being treated equally, the possession of illegal drugs was classified as a felony. According to station 610 Kona, it was ruled that the law violated due process at both the state and federal levels.
As a “temporary fix,” the Washington state legislature passed Senate Bill 5476 in 2021 as a response with an expiration date of July 1, 2023. The bill made possession of illegal drugs a misdemeanor on the third arrest. After the individual is arrested for the fourth time, one is subject to a maximum sentence of 90 days in jail and $1000 in fines.
Senate Bill 5536 would’ve been even harsher. It would classify possession of illegal drugs as a gross misdemeanor, which would have harshened the penalties to 364 days in jail and up to $5,000 in fines. The bill would also allow judges to order treatment programs for individuals charged with possession.
The Post Millennial reported that the bill was passed in the Senate, but failed in the House on Sunday night, right before the deadline.
