Why is marijuana still illegal? | Federal Way letters, Feb. 25

RE: "Rick Steves lights up marijuana conversation," Feb. 11:

I believe Rick Steves should ask the ACLU's director of drug policy, Alison Holcomb, and retired Whatcom Superior Court Judge David Nichols these questions:

• Why is marijuana a Legislature issue and not an issue for the courts to protect individual rights? Why do the courts review these criminal laws by rational review?

• Don't the marijuana laws affect his individual fundamental rights to privacy, to liberty and to property protected from unreasonable government intrusion?

• Doesn't Rick Steves have standing to question the validity and construction of criminal laws that threatened to affect his fundamental rights by a declaratory judgment proceeding in a court of law? RCW 7.24.020

• If Alaskans have constitutional protection to possess marijuana because of the right to privacy, what happened to the right of privacy in the Washington State Constitution Article I section 7? No person shall be disturbed in his private affairs, or his home invaded, without authority of law?

• The Alaskan Supreme Court recognized a fundamental right has been violated and demanded the state to provide a compelling state interest to justify the government intrusion into Alaskans' private affairs. There was none because the private use of marijuana does not affect the rights of others.

• Doesn't the Fourth and Fifth Amendments of the Constitution of the United States protect the right of privacy?

• Are not the marijuana laws unreasonable regulations and violate the Fourth and Fifth Amendments?

• Why is marijuana illegal? What happened to due process of law?

• Why is marijuana still illegal? The American judiciary denies equal protection of the Fourth Amendment thereby due process of law.

Michael J. Dee, Windham, Maine

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