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Washington State was one of two states to legalize marijuana for recreational use following a voter referendum on Tuesday (November 6), the other being Colorado. Remarkably, while pot smoking may now be legal in Washington, playing online poker is not.
Yes, it’s true.
Get caught playing online poker in the state of Washington and you could be charged with a Class C felony. The punishment is equivalent to that of a repeat drunk driving offense or child molester.
It used to be that online poker players faced the same stiff penalty as a drug dealer. At least that may be changing now with the passage of the new pot law. Hence, the drug dealer will likely serve a much shorter prison sentence than the poker player.
Way to go Washington. Something is askew.
And, in case you were wondering, Washington is the only state that makes playing online poker a Class C felony.
Early returns showed pro-legalization of marijuana for recreational use votes led with 55 percent compared to 44 percent opposed. By morning, the Seattle Times and other media outlets projected a win for legalized marijuana in the state. Colorado’s referendum was declared a winner early Tuesday evening.
But like state-by-state legalization of online gambling, marijuana laws at the state level are expected to still draw the ire of the federal government.
That concern prompted Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, who opposes the measure, to issue the following proclamation: "(Don't) break out the Cheetos or Goldfish (just yet)".
The good news perhaps for Washington residents is that they have a new Governor who may or may not reconsider the draconian Internet poker laws put in place by outgoing Governor Christine Gregoire.
- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com
