is not waiting for Olympia lawmakers to agree on a drug possession law. The city passed their own law Monday night instead.
The ordinance makes it a gross misdemeanor to knowingly possess a controlled substance, which is punishable by up to 364 days in jail, a fine of up to $5,000, or both. The current Washington state law, which was passed as a stopgap after the Blake decision, expires in July and classifies drug possession as a misdemeanor on the third arrest. There is a maximum sentence of 90 days in jail, up to $1,000 in fines, or both after a third arrest.
The Washington state Legislature failed to pass a remedy to the state’s drug possession law after the House rejected a bill that would have made the possession and use of hard drugs a gross misdemeanor. Since the bill did not pass before the end of the legislative session, no drug possession laws will exist statewide if legislation is not passed during a