Ken Graham: From the Publisher

On a recent trip to the big city up north, I picked up a copy of "The Inlander," Spokane's well-established and popular alternative weekly newspaper. It's available free in places ranging from hipster downtown coffee shops to suburban Burger Kings and supermarkets.

Near the back of my copy was a twopage spread called "The Green Zone." There I saw ads for three recreational marijuana shops (one was having a grand opening that week), three medical marijuana cooperatives and one store specializing in hydroponic and indoor gardening supplies.

Next to the ads was a short article under the heading "technology" that described a $600 palm-sized device which, when connected to an iPhone with the proper app installed, will allow you to test the chemical content of your recently purchased weed. The author gave it a positive review.

The Seattle Times now includes a regular section called "The Evergreen" (not to be confused with WSU's student newspaper). The one in the Times features that newspaper's "coverage of pot policy, culture and lifestyle." This section covers both pros and cons of the "lifestyle," but it doesn't scrimp on the pros.

As someone who has had more than a little past experience with the "demon weed" and lived to tell about it, I'm comfortable with those publications' coverage of pot. (Don't worry, you won't find a similar section in this newspaper anytime soon.) In fact, I find a lot of the negative reaction locally to legalized recreational marijuana unreasonable and uninformed. Some of it borders on fear mongering, in my opinion.

When I was in high school and college in the '70s, many of my friends smoked pot (in the case of college, I would say "most"). Many of them also drank alcohol (ditto for college). None of these folks that I know of developed long-term problems with marijuana. (I probably would have heard about it.) A few definitely developed drinking problems.

I believe that, over time, attitudes will change, and marijuana will begin to be seen more like alcohol or tobacco: a substance that should be used in mod eration, or even discouraged (and forbidden for minors, of course); but one that we can live with, without undue fear. However, changes in attitudes like that take time.

I've read several editorials in newspapers (including the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin) that say that all cities and counties in Washington should heed the will of the voters and not ban pot businesses - even when a majority of their residents don't want them. This will help wipe out the black market, they say, and tax revenues can be maximized.

I say that communities should be allowed to move at their own pace. When a community's standards don't include acceptance of marijuana businesses, they shouldn't be forced on them. Change always comes more easily in bigger cities where there are larger groups of "experimenters."

If the illegal pot dealers disappear from Seattle and Spokane, and those cities get rich on marijuana tax dollars, attitudes will probably change in smaller and more conservative communities. However, if the drug problems in the big cities get worse, the rest of us will be spared the pain. Let them continue to be the "experimenters."

In the meantime, if I decide to start smoking pot again, I can always drive to Spokane. I now know where to get it there.