Patricia Murphy

Stories

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  Seattle Web Entrepreneur's Efforts To Re-Brand Marijuana

  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.Up until now, much of the marketing aimed at cannabis consumers is a variation on the stereotypical stoner image. Seattle web entrepreneur Brendan Kennedy has a problem with this. He says, "They're not elevating the conversation. They’re perpetuating the negative stereotype. They are their own worst enemy."Kennedy isn’t just talking smack. The former COO, an MBA from Yale and a six-time Ironman triathlete, left a successful job in the banking industry to start Leafly.com.  The site features a search tool and ratings forum for users of medical-marijuana dispensaries.Marijuana's Dark YearsMarijuana’s counter-culture image grew out of prohibition. The drug was regulated as early as 1860, and by the mid 1930s marijuana was criminalized in every state. Films like "Reefer Madness" -- originally titled “Tell Your Children” -- were used as propaganda and declared marijuana more vicious, more deadly than cocaine and heroin. The approach was not that unlike the disinformation campaigns that surfaced prior to alcohol prohibition.Daniel Okrent, author of "Last Call The Rise and Fall of Prohibition," says one of the most powerful campaigns against alcohol was waged by a group of woman concerned about alcohols impact on families. He says,"The Woman’s Christian Temperance Union lobbied to have what was known as Scientific Temperance Instruction. It was not science, it was mythology, and intimidation and propaganda.”By the time alcohol prohibition was repealed, Macy’s had opened a liquor department. Booze had gone legit; the store was mobbed.Today, though, marijuana is still illegal under federal law, and its counter-culture image has become part of its branding: Cue the reggae and pass the bowl.A New EraStarting December 6, marijuana will be legal for recreational use under Washington state law. Legalization of marijuana by popular vote indicates opinions have shifted and marijuana has gained widespread acceptance.Shifting cultural attitudes and outdated stereotypes may mean that marijuana is poised for a marketing overhaul.Kennedy sees this as an opportunity to distinguish himself from his competitors and market to people who don’t see themselves as stoners. He says, “Cannabis is mainstream; it's gone mainstream; it’s been mainstream; and we’re just creating mainstream brands for people who use this product. “While other websites use images of cartoon pot leaves and invite users to “find their bud,” Leafly’s logo design features three colored blocks. Tucked down in the lower right hand corner of the homepage are three small leafed sprouts.  These may be pot plants, but they’re not recognizable.Chris works in technology sales and is a long-time recreational pot smoker who lives in South Seattle. Because marijuana is still illegal under federal law, he preferred we only use his first name.Chris appreciates the clean, professional design and content that Kennedy created. He says it’s very relevant at the moment. "I do like their strain explorer feature where you kind of get past some of the naming conventions into the physical properties of the herb."By "naming conventions," he means the branding names of marijuana strains. They can range from funny to offensive -- names like: Asian Fantasy, Jack the Ripper and Big Wreck. Those names part of the stoner image Kennedy wants to change, but he can’t. So on Leafly’s website he prints them in tiny letters and on clever panels that look like a periodic table of elements.  Kennedy's efforts to rebrand marijuana have a lot of historical and cultural hurdles to overcome. But alcohol's successful rebranding after prohibition could be an indicator that marijuana has a strong mainstream future. While his efforts may be more of a long Ironman event than a quick sprint, history is on his side.

  Nov 29, 2012 at 1:29 pm
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  Army's I Corps Role Will Shift To Pacific Rim

  This month Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta laid out plans for the future of the US military. And as troops return from Afghanistan, that strategy includes shifting security operations to the Pacific Rim. Soldiers from Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) will play a major role in that plan.The Army’s I Corps is headquartered at JBLM. They’ve played a major role in the war in Afghanistan. Now Lieutenant General Robert Brown, I Corps commander says their mission will shift to Japan, China and Indonesia.“It’s been about four or five years since the Corps has been able to focus solely on the Pacific," says Brown. "We’ve done little things here and there, of course, but now, as units come back, they won’t go back to Afghanistan. For the first time in 11 years they’ll go to the Pacific.“Brown says much of that work will be humanitarian assistance and disaster response. But he stressed troops must continue to train for the worst case scenario. “You know it wouldn’t be smart to train for humanitarian assistance and then, say something happens, God forbid, in the world, and you have to go and you don’t have the skills you need. We can’t afford that,” says Brown.Brown made his comment during an informal chat with reporters.He says some soldiers from JBLM will remain in Afghanistan after the expected troop drawdown in 2014. Brown says chemical battalions, military police and intelligence units are indispensable in Afghanistan. Between 500 and 1,000 troops will remain.He says it’s too soon to tell how anticipated fiscal cuts at the Department of Defense will affect the shift to the pacific.

  Nov 19, 2012 at 7:38 am

• Afghan Witnesses Describe Horror At Bales Hearing

  Updated: Tuesday, November 12, 1:00 p.m.Witnesses and survivors recounted a horrific scene following a massacre at two villages in Kandahar Province March 11 that killed 16 civilians and wounded six. They testified via a live video link from Afghanistan during a pretrial hearing for Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state.Prosecutors say Bales slipped away from his camp twice in the early morning hours to commit the murders.Bales stared intently at the video feed but showed no emotion as witness Khamal Adin, speaking through a translator, recounted finding the bodies of 11 family members. Adin said he found most of them piled up in one room.  Many had been shot in the head and partially burned in the family compound in Najiban, in Kandahar Province.Adin said seven of the dead were children. He recalled that some had boot prints on their faces, as if they had been stomped.In other testimony, an Afghan soldier who stood patrol the night of the killings said he was shocked to see an American soldier walking down the main road toward the camp around 1:30 a.m.  When the Afghan  asked him to stop the American soldier greeted him in Farsi and kept walking.The  hearings from Afghanistan are being held overnight to accommodate the Afghan witnesses.The proceedings at Joint Base Lewis-McChord are also known as an Article 32 hearing. They will determine whether the case will advance to Court Martial.  If the case moves forward the government has stated it plans to seek the death penalty.Attorneys for Bales say he has post-traumatic stress disorder and suffered a concussive head injury while serving in Iraq. They’ve also tried to make the most of contradictory statements made by witnesses that suggest Bales was not alone the night of the murders. 

  Nov 10, 2012 at 9:45 am

• Reporter Update: Joint Base Lewis-McChord Soldier Accused Of Massacre

  Pre-trial hearings continue this evening at Joint Base Lewis-McChord for Army Staff Sergeant Robert Bales. He’s accused of massacring 16 civilians in Afghanistan, including nine children. Prosecutors say he left his base last March and went on an overnight five-hour killing spree.The hearings will determine whether the case will advance to court-martial, where the government has said it plans to seek the death penalty. KUOW’s Sara Lerner spoke with Patricia Murphy, who’s covering the hearings.

  Nov 09, 2012 at 11:46 am

• Afghan Witnesses Testimony Next Step In Bales Hearings

  Pretrial hearings for Staff Sergeant Robert Bales continue tonight when Afghan villagers and soldiers are expected to testify by video. The hearings are expected to run into the early morning hours US time.

  Nov 09, 2012 at 12:00 am
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  Founder Of University District Needle Exchange Dead

  Bob Quinn, one of the founders of Seattle's needle exchange, died over the weekend. The King County Medical examiner says it was suicide.Public health officials credit needle exchange programs with helping to control the spread of HIV and Hepatitis C. Exchanges also provide support services and drug treatment information.Quinn came to Seattle from Saskatchewan, Canada, in the late '80s. It was the height of the AIDS epidemic. Heroin use was on the rise as well. Quinn started handing out clean needles from his backpack on University Way in the University District. Eventually he set up a table in front of the old Tower Records.In an interview in 2010, Quinn said he never considered the legality of what he was doing.“The exchange in many ways was just a gut reaction. It was an emergency, something had to be done and so I did it," he said. "I didn’t think of the consequences or whether it was right or wrong. It needed to be done and I did what I had to do.”By 1989 the King County Department of Public Health issued permits to allow the exchange to operate. The University District’s needle exchange has since moved but is still in operation.Washington state now has 20 established needle exchange programs. Five are in King County.The HIV/AIDS  prevention manager for Public Health Seattle and King County says Quinn will be remembered for his dedication, perseverance and his advocacy.Bob Quinn was 54 years old.If you or someone you know are suicidal, visit the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline or call 800.273.TALK (8255).

  Nov 06, 2012 at 9:21 am
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  O'Dea HS Principal Resigns Amid Sex Abuse Claims

  This story has been updated since it was first published.A member of the Christian Brothers religious order who served as principal at Seattle’s O'Dea High School has resigned. Brother Karl Walczak is being accused of sexually abusing a minor in Chicago about 40 years ago.The school is operated by the Christian Brothers but owned by the Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle.Seattle attorney Michael Phau has handled claims against Christian brothers and the archdiocese of Seattle. Phau says the allegation  came to light as part of the more than 400 claims that have been filed across the country against Christian Brothers as part of a bankruptcy proceeding."I think what's interesting is that you have a sitting brother who had been accused of abuse, but apparently no one knew about this -- at least parents and families,” said Phau.In a statement the Archdiocese said Walczak denies the allegations. Archdiocese spokesman Greg Magnoni said he understood there was one person alleging multiple instances of abuse.In a statement on the O'Dea website, the School Board chairman said the board learned of the accusation Wednesday.O'Dea administrators reported last August that Walczak had been called back by the Christian Brothers to assist in resolving a claim filed in the Christian Brothers Institute bankruptcy proceeding.Update: Nov. 1, 4:30 p.m. by Patricia MurphyThe claims came to light during bankruptcy proceedings for the Christian Brothers earlier this year.Members of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) were outside the school Thursday speaking with reporters. They accused the archdiocese of trying to cover up the allegations. Archdiocese spokesman Greg Magnoni said the archdiocese couldn’t say anything sooner. Magnoni said the archdiocese was under a court order of confidentiality because the information was part of  a federal bankruptcy proceeding. “We’ve been working on this since August and have just recently, at the judge's direction, received permission from all the parties involved," Magnoni said. He added that the parties are the Christian Brothers, the claimant, the claimant’s attorney, Walczak and Walczak's attorney.SNAP member Scott Abraham says keeping the accusations confidential status keeps other potential victims from speaking up.  “What kind of world do we live in when we give the perpetrator the ability to control the release of information? He should have been removed and they should have gone public the minute the accuser made his allegations.” Abraham says as a child he was repeatedly molested by a priest at a Chicago orphanage in the 1960s.

  Nov 01, 2012 at 8:56 am

• Court Appoints Independent Monitor For Seattle Police

  A federal judge has appointed Merrick Bobb as the independent monitor to oversee reforms to the Seattle Police Department. Bobb’s appointment follows disagreement between the Seattle city council, the police department, and the mayor over whether he was the best choice.

  Oct 30, 2012 at 12:00 am
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  The Race For A New Representative In Washington State’s 6th District

  Republican Bill Driscoll and Democrat Derek Kilmer are running to replace US Representative Norm Dicks in Washington state’s 6th Congressional District.  The district encompasses the Olympic and Kitsap peninsulas, much of Tacoma and Bainbridge Island.Since 1977 most of the 6th District has been Norm Dicks country. In fact, many of the voters in this election grew up with the formidable Democrat as their representative. Now that he’s retiring, Dicks has endorsed Gig Harbor Democratic State Senator Derek Kilmer as his successor.  But his Republican challenger, Bill Driscoll, has picked up some heavyweight endorsements too, including former Republican Senator Slade Gorton who calls Driscoll "one of the best first time candidates for any office that I’ve ever met." Gorton says he was impressed with Driscoll’s character. "I was simply blown away by the fact that he not only served in the Marines once back in 1990, but volunteered to return and served in both Iraq and Afghanistan in addition to being a fairly well off and a highly successful business man."Driscoll worked for Weyerhaeuser, the timber harvesting giant founded by his great-great-grandfather. Driscoll’s financial success has allowed him to make a million dollars in personal contributions to his campaign.Both candidates have raised roughly $1.5 million, but for Derek Kilmer, much of that has come from individuals and political action committees.Kilmer says Driscoll’s personal wealth puts him out of touch with most of his would-be constituents.  Kilmer says he understands the challenges that middle class families face because he's lived them. Kilmer says he doesn't begrudge Driscoll's wealth, "But I think it brings us to very different takes on issues that matter to middle class families that I’m seeking to represent."Both candidates have focused mainly on jobs and the economy. Kilmer says if elected he would vote to let the Bush-era tax cuts for the nation’s highest earners expire.  He disagrees with Driscoll’s plan to embrace the GOP’s proposal to overhaul Medicare. “[He] suggests that we should turn Medicare into a voucher program that would increase costs to seniors," says Kilmer. "That may not mean much to him, but it means a lot to my grandmother who’s 102-years-old. And he suggests we should do that to pay for another round of tax cuts for millionaires like himself."But Driscoll says it’s not that simple. "Anything we do, we’ve got to address spending cuts as well as tax increases, and we have to link those together. Just revenue increases isn’t going to be enough. And it’s too easy just to raise taxes, and the spending cuts [are] really the hard part."Driscoll says he’s willing to work with his Democratic counterparts. To him that means everything is on the table, including reforming entitlement programs and cutting defense spending.Both candidates, however, acknowledge the Pacific Rim's strategic importance to the nation’s defense.   Driscoll pitches himself as a moderate Republican. He’s fond of reminding voters he’s married to a Democrat.And, indeed, Driscoll and Kilmer have some similarities. Both candidates support Referendum 74, which asks voters to decide on gay marriage.While Kilmer says he supports the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes, both candidates reject Initiative 502. It would legalize and tax pot sales in Washington.  In a recent KING 5 poll, Kilmer leads Driscoll by 15 percentage points with 11 percent undecided.Recent coverage of the 6th District on KUOWIt's Heating Up In The 6th Congressional DistrictKilmer, Driscoll To Vie For Wash. 6th District

  Oct 23, 2012 at 7:26 pm

• Wash. Senator Patty Murray Wants Timeline For DoD Mental Health Diagnosis Reviews

  Washington Senator Patty Murray has asked Defense Secretary Leon Panetta to provide a timeline for a review of how the military diagnoses PTSD and other behavioral health issues.

  Oct 18, 2012 at 12:00 am