Washington’s law allowing same-sex marriage just took effect this week. And that could be not a moment too soon for same-sex couples hoping to receive marriage-related federal benefits.
What’s the opposite of a shotgun wedding? Try a 15-year engagement. Seattle couple Kate Schubert and Liz Newman joke they’ve waited that long for the right to get married in their home state. The wait is almost over. On December 6, same-sex marriage will be legal in Washington. Now, Kate and Liz are eager to take the next step.
Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes has been a longtime supporter of legalizing marijuana. But when he was elected in 2009, he said he never would have imagined that his goal would be achieved so quickly. This week Initiative 502 takes effect, or at least the part of it that allows people to possess small amounts of marijuana for recreational use.
Marijuana has been historically cast as a dangerous drug for outcasts and societal dropouts. But with the passage of I-502, marijuana is going mainstream. A Seattle web entrepreneur is building tools for the masses to bring marijuana – and its users – into the 21st century.