Washington State Laws
Jun 5, 2013 10:51:01 GMT -8
Post by Anaiu on Jun 5, 2013 10:51:01 GMT -8
Yes, this site is set in Washington state. Washington has a few laws that, we feel, need to be addressed.
Restricted Animal Species
First, and easiest, is that Washington has a law against owning any species of animal native to Washington, as well as a law prohibiting private ownership of any "potentially dangerous wild animal". This means that none of the characters here can have, say, a pet gorilla, rattlesnake, tiger, crocodile, shark, et cetera. If they own a wildlife preserve, an animal education business, or a zoo, that's a different story.
Marijuana
Second is the much more controversial issue of marijuana. As you may be aware, Washington legalized recreational use of marijuana by adults over the age of 21 in 2013. SAOR is set twenty years later, and realistically speaking, there is no way that's going to be repealed. As far as the law is concerned, marijuana is now just about equal to alcohol and tobacco in this state, and therefore, we do not believe that marijuana use (in character only) on this site conflicts with the Proboards TOS.
With that being said, we feel it is important to make sure our members understand Washington's laws regarding marijuana. It's legal, not unlimited, and it is a difficult habit to maintain. Because of the sorts of taxes imposed on the marijuana trade, as well as the very expensive licensing requirements placed on growers and vendors, this stuff is in no way cheap. Licenses for vendors, for example, cost $250 initially, and must be renewed yearly at the price of $1000. There are heavy taxes on the sale by growers to vendors. There is a 45% sales tax on the sale by vendors to consumers. There are restrictions in place controlling how much a vendor may sell/how much a consumer may buy. These restrictions are:
1oz of "useable" marijuana
16oz of marijuana-infused product in solid form
72oz of marijuana-infused product in liquid form
Any combination of the above.
As a result, one can expect to pay a very high price (think something like $200-$400) for a relatively small amount of this stuff.
Personal "grows" are still illegal; no marijuana houseplants allowed.
Unlicensed/unauthorized sales and purchases are still 100% illegal and will get your character thrown in jail.
The DUI limit is 5 nanograms of THC per mililiter of blood (5ng/mL). If your character is pulled over and fails a field sobriety test, they will first be given a breathalyzer and, if they pass that, then a blood test to test for THC.
Medical marijuana is still a thing here. This is the only circumstance in which personal "grows" are permitted.
Marijuana restrictions on this site are taken directly from Initiative 502 in Washington state, passed November 6th, 2012. Because it enhances the realism of the setting, we have chosen to permit use of marijuana as per state laws. This site will be submitted to Proboards for review; if at any time they disagree with us and tell us that, even given the circumstances, allowing marijuana use by characters (and only by characters; OOC chatter about how great pot is is strictly prohibited) does in fact go against their TOS, everything related to marijuana will be removed from this site within the allotted 48 hours.
If your character is a licensed marijuana grower, vendor, or even a user, you will have approximately 36 hours to make the needed changes to your character. All posts involving marijuana use must be edited or deleted within that time. Should you fail to do so, we, the staffers, will do it for you.
Firearms
Washington has a relatively simple policy regarding firearms; you must have a concealed-carry permit and be over the age of 21 to carry a handgun, state and federal background checks are required.
Other Issues
Abortion is legal before the third trimester. Gay marriage is legal (also as of 2013). "Death with Dignity", also known as doctor-assisted suicide, is legal for terminally ill patients. Speed limit on highways (state-wide, even in the flat prairies of eastern Washington) is 60mph. Red-light cameras are moderately common, speeding cameras are rare. Roundabouts/traffic circles are increasingly common; SR9 (which passes through the middle of Lake Stevens and is a main thoroughfare there) has few traffic lights, since they have largely been replaced with traffic circles. Please keep in mind that anyone native to Lake Stevens is quite comfortable with traffic circles, because they've been a big part of the city and have only been getting more common for the last twenty years.
Restricted Animal Species
First, and easiest, is that Washington has a law against owning any species of animal native to Washington, as well as a law prohibiting private ownership of any "potentially dangerous wild animal". This means that none of the characters here can have, say, a pet gorilla, rattlesnake, tiger, crocodile, shark, et cetera. If they own a wildlife preserve, an animal education business, or a zoo, that's a different story.
Marijuana
Second is the much more controversial issue of marijuana. As you may be aware, Washington legalized recreational use of marijuana by adults over the age of 21 in 2013. SAOR is set twenty years later, and realistically speaking, there is no way that's going to be repealed. As far as the law is concerned, marijuana is now just about equal to alcohol and tobacco in this state, and therefore, we do not believe that marijuana use (in character only) on this site conflicts with the Proboards TOS.
With that being said, we feel it is important to make sure our members understand Washington's laws regarding marijuana. It's legal, not unlimited, and it is a difficult habit to maintain. Because of the sorts of taxes imposed on the marijuana trade, as well as the very expensive licensing requirements placed on growers and vendors, this stuff is in no way cheap. Licenses for vendors, for example, cost $250 initially, and must be renewed yearly at the price of $1000. There are heavy taxes on the sale by growers to vendors. There is a 45% sales tax on the sale by vendors to consumers. There are restrictions in place controlling how much a vendor may sell/how much a consumer may buy. These restrictions are:
1oz of "useable" marijuana
16oz of marijuana-infused product in solid form
72oz of marijuana-infused product in liquid form
Any combination of the above.
As a result, one can expect to pay a very high price (think something like $200-$400) for a relatively small amount of this stuff.
Personal "grows" are still illegal; no marijuana houseplants allowed.
Unlicensed/unauthorized sales and purchases are still 100% illegal and will get your character thrown in jail.
The DUI limit is 5 nanograms of THC per mililiter of blood (5ng/mL). If your character is pulled over and fails a field sobriety test, they will first be given a breathalyzer and, if they pass that, then a blood test to test for THC.
Medical marijuana is still a thing here. This is the only circumstance in which personal "grows" are permitted.
Marijuana restrictions on this site are taken directly from Initiative 502 in Washington state, passed November 6th, 2012. Because it enhances the realism of the setting, we have chosen to permit use of marijuana as per state laws. This site will be submitted to Proboards for review; if at any time they disagree with us and tell us that, even given the circumstances, allowing marijuana use by characters (and only by characters; OOC chatter about how great pot is is strictly prohibited) does in fact go against their TOS, everything related to marijuana will be removed from this site within the allotted 48 hours.
If your character is a licensed marijuana grower, vendor, or even a user, you will have approximately 36 hours to make the needed changes to your character. All posts involving marijuana use must be edited or deleted within that time. Should you fail to do so, we, the staffers, will do it for you.
Firearms
Washington has a relatively simple policy regarding firearms; you must have a concealed-carry permit and be over the age of 21 to carry a handgun, state and federal background checks are required.
Other Issues
Abortion is legal before the third trimester. Gay marriage is legal (also as of 2013). "Death with Dignity", also known as doctor-assisted suicide, is legal for terminally ill patients. Speed limit on highways (state-wide, even in the flat prairies of eastern Washington) is 60mph. Red-light cameras are moderately common, speeding cameras are rare. Roundabouts/traffic circles are increasingly common; SR9 (which passes through the middle of Lake Stevens and is a main thoroughfare there) has few traffic lights, since they have largely been replaced with traffic circles. Please keep in mind that anyone native to Lake Stevens is quite comfortable with traffic circles, because they've been a big part of the city and have only been getting more common for the last twenty years.
