Colorado and Washington vote to become first US states to legalize marijuana

Get short URL

Published time: November 07, 2012 05:06
Edited time: November 07, 2012 16:15

The Nirvana Pharmacy, a medical marijuana shop in Los Angeles, California (AFP Photo / Gabriel Bouys)

Download video (3.64 MB)
Embed

Trends

US Election 2012

Tags

Election, Law, Politics, USA

Marijuana is now legal in Colorado and Washington for recreational use, and possibly in Oregon as well.

While the decision in Colorado is historic, it was not without controversy: The measure won by a close six-point margin, 53% in favor to 47% opposed. Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper was an ardent opponent to the legalizaiton of recreational marijuana use, and reacted to the decision in the following statement: “The voters have spoken and we have to respect their will. This will be a complicated process, but we intend to follow through. That said, federal law still says marijuana is an illegal drug so don’t break out the Cheetos or Goldfish too quickly.”

Proponents of the initiative argued that pot is safer than alcohol, and that the legal sale of marijuana could rake in $45 to 100 billion in tax revenue, according to Bloomberg. The government will also save an estimated $14 billion in cannabis-related costs in fighting the war on drugs.

Massachusetts and Arkansas have also passed ballot initiatives allowing use of marijuana for medical purposes. These are two of the six states debating medical marijuana laws in 2012, a concept already accepted in around a third of US states. In California, a state often seen at the vanguard of the medical marijuana movement, there are more than 1,000 pot dispensaries in operation. It is also estimated that there are more facilities that sell medical marijuana in Colorado than there are Starbucks coffeehouses.

While nearly two-thirds of US states support some form of cannabis legalization and taxation, there still some obstacles to overcome before pot advocates can fully celebrate. Pot is still illegal at the federal level. It is widely believed that after the first state moves towards legalization for recreational marijuana use, a fight with federal law enforcement will ensue. Now that that gauntlet has been thrown down, all eyes turn to US Attorney General Eric Holder to see how the Obama administration will proceed. It remains to be seen how the controversial war on drugs will play out in areas where state and federal laws are in conflict.

Owner of the Nirvana Pharmacy, a medical marijuana shop (AFP Photo / Gabriel Bouys)

(AFP Photo / Gabriel Bouys)

Comments (60)

A. Patriot (unregistered) 09.12.2012 00:05

What USA States MUST do is immediately file Nullification of the existing Federal Law which stipulates Marijuana is classified where no medical use is evident, found nor possible along with the narcotic drug Heroin.

Tha t politically motivated, corrupt scheduling of Marijuana was pushed by the equally corrupt President Nixon to imprison his vocal opponents whom he viewed as 'pot smokers'. However even at that time, Medical Marijuana had a track record of 5,000 yrs of Medical applications globally. The very federal law placing Marijuana as not having any medical application is false, corrupt and wouldn't stand up to a Supreme Court scrutiny.

Was hington, Oregon, California, Colorado and other USA States with legalized Medical Marijuana laws MUST file for Nullification of the existing federal anti-Marijuana law, have their States Supreme Courts uphold the Nullification finding then push that before the USA Supreme Court if needed.

The USA States with Marijuana legalization and Medical Marijuana legalization must push back against the goose stepping actions by the USA Federal Government including Obama.

The legalization of Marijuana in Washington and Colorado States will generate roughly 1/2 BILLION in new tax revenues in each of those States taking away a similar amount from the Jewish Mafia and Drug Cartels in the process. Isn't that what the USA Gov is actually protecting, the Jewish Mafia and the Drug Cartels?

Pres ident Obama has unleashed legions of ATF,DEA and IRS thugs on State Legal medical marijuana outlets, farmers and even on the very homes of veterans treating their severe PTSD with MD directed and ordered medical marijuana.

Pr esident Obama has instructed Sheriff's of Rottingham to wade back into the evil, corrupt goose stepping 1980's era of confiscating lands, homes, farms where medical marijuana and State Legal marijuana is grown along with any cash the Sheriff's find on those premises.

Undo

Eidos 09.11.2012 20:23

I do not see this as a positive thing at all, you all may believe that this is a good thing but for who. You have been conditioned into thinking this is good for you whether it is or not. This is a step back not forward. If I had the funds I'd see to it that a virus was invented to kill the cannabis plants, ALL of them, same for the tobacco plant.

Many people that inhale the marijuana smoke say that it is not addicting then they go on smoking it everyday, they can't be without it yet they say that it isn't addictive...

Imagine a alcoholic in a country where it was illegal of course he would like it to be legal and of course he would use all kinds of arguments "it is good for you", "calms your nerves down", civil liberties and all kinds of things to make it sound better than it is, glorifying it. Misinformed people, addicts are often figureheads for these kinds of movements. But if you think you want it so badly get out of the country and stop imposing your laws on others you degerate malcontent scum.

Undo

Ibrahim (unregistered) 09.11.2012 14:12

Monsanto will get you all!!!

Undo

View all comments (60)