Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Working diligently on our laptops and cellphones as we drove up the Columbia River
Gorge, across the Palouse, through Spokane, and over Blewett Pass—and determinedly
lobbying legislators, mayors, and city council members each lunch and evening—it oc-
curred to us as kind of funny how different we were from many of the people whose civil
liberties we were defending.
I got pretty good at framing legal pot in conservative terms, and it seemed to resonate
with lots of people. (You can watch my stump speech by searching for “Rick Steves
Spokane” on YouTube.) It wasn't just liberal newspapers that endorsed I-502. Thoughtful
and open-minded people of all political stripes saw the wisdom of taking crime out of the
equation. The only vigorous opposition we encountered was at the Washington State Cap-
itol—from a noisy pro-marijuana gang who felt our law didn't go far enough. I suspect
