Colorado and Washington Legalize Marijuana
By David Tyrone | 11/07/2012 | Ballot Initiatives, Drugs, Headline | 54 Comments
Photo: Yahoo!
Several states tried to legalize marijuana this election, with Colorado and Washington actually passing the initiatives. Recreational use of the drug will now be legal in those states.
Colorado, the more ambitious of the two, amended its constitution to legalize marijuana. Amendment 64 not only allows people over the age of 21 to possess and consume limited amounts of marijuana, but it also allows for licensed cultivation facilities, product manufacturing facilities, retail stores, and the processing and sale of industrial hemp. Likewise, Washington’s Initiative 502 removes criminal penalties for the cultivation, possession, and consumption of marijuana and essentially regulates it like alcohol.
Colorado and Washington are now poised for a showdown with the federal courts that will have ramifications nationwide. The Justice Department is already looking into the new laws.
The Colorado governor, John Hickenlooper said of the initiative,
“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 gold fish too quickly.”
In the past, the Supreme Court has ruled that federal officials have the authority to enforce federal law that conflicts with state law through the commerce clause. However, if Colorado and Washington are allowed time to test their legalization measures, and if they prove to be successful, it could lead to a change in how federal law treats marijuana. Depending on how the federal government responds, the war on drugs (at least the battle for marijuana) could either be coming to an end or forever strengthened.
In other states, medical marijuana measures passed in Massachusetts but failed in Arkansas. In Oregon, a legalization measure similar to those in Colorado and Washington failed to pass.
Leave Your Comment →
54 Comments
Cassidy Noblejas Bartolomei
11.07.2012
@cassidynb
Huzzah!
I’m interested to see how the DEA will approach this circumstance. It will set a lot of precedents for fed/state relations in more than just drug policy.
Alex Gauthier
11.07.2012
@alexg
there’s no way the DEA will be able to handle two states without a dramatic shift in resources away from prosecuting those dealing in ‘harder’ drugs. At some point they’ll have to throw in the towel on marijuana
Ian Dawes
11.08.2012
@iandawes
So, how is this regulated? Buying it off the street is legal, or will you have to get it commercially from the super market? I bet Phillip Morris already has a plan for the shelf. In any case, this will be an interesting development for America. I wonder if after the next census Colorado and Washington gain a seat?
David Tyrone
11.08.2012
@davidgerald
If they do get involved I’ll be first in line to get a pack of hydro-menthols.
David Tyrone
11.07.2012
@davidgerald
Best case scenario is that Congress steps in and removes the federal prohibition by law rather than having it go to the Supreme Court. I just dont trust the Supreme Court to do the right thing on this one
james reece
11.07.2012
why not legalize it on a trial basis. if all goes well then make it permanent.
Nik Nikkel
11.08.2012
Absolutely approved. It is about time. It is the beginning of dismantling the drug wars fraud, the private prison fraud and decades long assault on commonsense.
Nanson Hwa
11.08.2012
We are not a nation of alcoholics nor do we want to become a nation of pot heads. Medicinal use of marijuana is fine for those suffering from eating and sleeping disorders, chronic pain, AIDS, cancer , nausea, migrain headaches, mental illness. etc.. Consider the influence and negative effect on children and young adults and the message the law is sending.
Ian Dawes
11.08.2012
@iandawes
If we’re not a nation of alcoholics and alcohol is legal, why would be become a nation of pot heads with marijuana legalized?
Jenny Jo
11.08.2012
Young adult use was declared by the Colorado CDC to have greatly reduced when Colorado passed their medical law, thereby regulating it in the state. You can find that info on their website. I don’t see why it being legal will send any different message than alcohol being legal, yet still unavailable to young children. Not sure about you, but I don’t know too many 9-14 year olds who pay a whole lot of attention to laws that do not concern them and whatnot.
Eric Roth
11.08.2012
So now you can smoke it all happy that it’s legal…then the DEA shows up…
Donnie Herrmann
11.08.2012
I support it… well because its my right to choose what I want to consume! Legal or not
Carol Bell
11.08.2012
I don’t smoke it, but I do support it. First of all, I don’t believe that it’s “dangerous”. and second, I think it will actually create more jobs and a good tax revenue
Michael Hendricks
11.08.2012
Your gonna have same problem as California. Legal by state, not legal by Federal law. Some cities here bypass state law and use Federal law to shut down dispensaries. Created a lot of confusion out here. Good luck.
Jenny Jo
11.08.2012
Federal law is technically invalid, since the DEA do not Constitutionally have the power to outlaw marijuana, so all they have are banana books anyways. Cities cannot trump state law, so they are out of luck. Cannabis is legal in all of California, according to California state law, the only one that matters.
Sarah Moorling
11.08.2012
I’d love to see the look on your faces when your dentist smokes a big fatty & then gets ready to do your root canal. Or your airline pilot who smokes a big bong and then taxis down the runway with 300 people on board, including your spouse and children. SMH
Jenny Jo
11.08.2012
I’d prefer them smoking before both of these as opposed to taking any – alcohol, anti-depressants, speed, meth, cocaine, caffeine, heroin, lsd, pcp, bath salts, salvia and God only knows what else you people use these days.
David Tyrone
11.08.2012
@davidgerald
If they smoke to calm anxiety its probably a good thing
Rictus Grinn
11.08.2012
Unlike booz, who ever died from weed? Besides the cartels Killing each other over the almighty dollar!
Jessica Warner
11.08.2012
Support! I don’t personally smoke but as a health care professional I can recognize its amazing medicinal qualities. Our bodies are designed with cannabinoid receptors. Human Breast milk contains many of the same ingredients are cannabis. Obviously cannabis and the human body are designed to go together.
Timothy Webb
11.08.2012
I support it.
Matt Combest
11.08.2012
I honestly do not care. Whatevs.
Donnie Herrmann
11.08.2012
I’m sorry but who gets stupid off of a fatty… ? The uneducated that’s who…. personally I like to call it cuttin the edge so I can deal with people who give dumb excuses about it
Jenny Jo
11.08.2012
No doubt. If I haven’t had one for the day, I cannot even BEGIN to deal with the stupidity and attitude of 90% of the people in this world. Maybe if more people like the nay sayers on this page would relax (hint hint), they might not be such tight asses all the time.
Jill Katz Conner
11.08.2012
$60 mil a year in tax revenue by 2017, and mark my words Colorado’s real estate market is about to recover in a big way. It was a brilliant move. States- take a cue.
Joshua Giardino
11.08.2012
I think its good for politics because it shortens the memory, keeping democrats in power!
Jenny Jo
11.08.2012
This was proven wrong. Not that they need to dumb people down through drugs, they have already done that through insituting the public education system, and then assuring the elite that it will be the worst producer of intelligent people on the face of the planet.
Rusty Ouellette
11.08.2012
Now we will have a lot more stoners being lazy and wanting something for doing nothing. Wake up America.
Jenny Jo
11.08.2012
O hi there, that is some nice propaganda from the 1930s you have there! Sigh, its almost like the people in this country have no idea who WRH is, or a damn lick about American history.
Joshua Tucker
11.08.2012
If for no other reason I’m for it because prohibition has failed…miserably…
Carla Stacy Trussell
11.08.2012
no
Sarah Birchstep
11.08.2012
@sarah – that’s a moronic argument.
Lee Kersey
11.08.2012
LOL Yes everyone who has ever not wanted anything to do with marijuana will suddenly become addicts due to the legality of a plant. /sarcasm
Jill Katz Conner
11.08.2012
Smoking marijuana and laziness are linked by ignorant people who have bought into reefer madness propaganda. Please don’t perpetuate unsubstantiated (and frankly insulting) arguments.
Jenny Jo
11.08.2012
Hey, come on, its the 1930s though, and the flyers are posted all over town! A billionaire with huge investments in paper and lumber, and crooked politicians would never lie to us! So… hard… not… to.. trust!
Seriously though.. The American Education System failed all these people something fierce. It really is extremely telling, and scary that people are still spouting the same propaganda 80 years later. I guess thats mass media for you, food for the sheeple.
Keith Pyron
11.08.2012
@Sarah Moorling: How about those martinis your pilot slams before flying or your dentist has before doing your root canal?
Congratulations, you’ve been nominated for Statist Sheep Of The Day!
Hannah Woodard
11.08.2012
I don’t smoke it but I do support it. Pot is no worse than any other legal drug we’ve got… alcohol, caffeine, nicotine? Why not add something that has fewer health risks and actually has been proven to help with a lot of medical issues?
Sarah Birchstep
11.08.2012
Your dentist already had easy access to drugs >>> http://www.agd.org/publications/articles/?ArtID=7188
Brian Finigan
11.08.2012
yes, I have glaucoma and my eye doctor will only prescribe expensive drops that I can’t afford.
Sarah Birchstep
11.08.2012
And we all know pilots have easy access to alcohol >>>> http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199008163230706
Greg Kelly
11.08.2012
I support the right of individuals to make their own choices as to what they smoke, eat or drink – so long as they do not attempt to use any altered states as an excuse for violating laws…
Just like with drinking alcohol – being high should be no more of an excuse than being drunk….you ingest what you choose and you accept responsibility for it – that is the essence of freedom.
Jenny Jo
11.08.2012
Indeed it is, thank you for your common sense and a rational choice.
Jill Katz Conner
11.08.2012
Well said, Greg!
Janet Lynn
11.08.2012
No I don’t. It is a gateway to other drugs. And exactly how do you think they are going to keep it out of the hands of children – or do they REALLY want to? Another part of the plan to destroy our country with has no morals left…………a disgrace.
Jenny Jo
11.08.2012
A gateway to other drugs? Really? Can I see some scientif proof for this? How about even a slight hint that they are at least correlated? O wait, modern science has proven you wrong. How about you join the 21st century Janet? Your grandmothers taboos have been shown to be silly and false, its time to let go.
O also, if you are capable and intelligent enough to navigate a computer on more than one webpage (since you obviously cant norml.org, or any of the 40+ universities who have proven your propaganda wrong), you can go to Colorado states Center for Disease Control website, and see where they proclaim that 2 years ago when Colorado legalized for medical, and started regulating the market, use in children and young adults went down drasticly. Shocker. You should try keeping up to date on issues before you open your mouth, since your opinion isn’t worth anything when you are uninformed on even the past.. Idk.. 20 YEARS of research? Go back to school, maybe you’ll meet a kid smoking some pot and learn a thing or two while you are there.
Sarah Moorling
11.08.2012
So let’s give pilots and other professionals an opportunity to double their drug use while others are in their care. Now THAT’S a logical argument. Pffft
Jenny Jo
11.08.2012
I’m just not sure what to say if you are too ignorant to make sure you doctor looks sober before he does work on you. If you think this will cause a big issue being legal, when it was already legal for medical, and in 17 states no less, then you are just blind following propaganda or too dense to understand that prohibition causes a RISE in use, and legalization causes a DECLINE.
Patience Thebolt
11.08.2012
Legalize it and TAX It as high as other cigarettes & alcohol. Use the taxes to pay down the debt!
Rob Higgins
11.08.2012
lets see here… If 6% of American soil was used to grow it then that would produce enough fuel to run the country for a year. It also puts nutrients back in the soil. You can make rope,fuel,clothes.oils,cars and cosmetics out of it. It would save a bunch of trees. oh yeah,you can make MEDICINE from it. Zero deaths have been attributed to it. The only ones benefiting from it being illegal are the criminal big pharma and big oil companies. There has been suppressed info since 74 that it can cure cancers. What was the question again?
Rob Higgins
11.08.2012
It would also lower gas prices. almost forgot.
Sarah Moorling
11.08.2012
Love the pothead logic here. So typical. LMAO
Jenny Jo
11.08.2012
What logic do you have? You have no evidence, no facts, nothing but talking points and dumb comments. I am thinking you should smoke MORE pot, since obviously you unable to come up with a legitimate issue. Do you think you could spam some more on this topic? Your pointless bitching has been so valuable so far…
Dennis Packard
11.08.2012
@dennis_packard
You are my new hero Jenny Jo, would love to rap with you while blazed!
Dave Hein
11.08.2012
So we have to choose between YOUR logic… 1930′s scare tactics used to kill the hemp industry by a mass media mogul. Easily proven by opening a history textbook and not being a blind ignorant sheep.
VS
“Pothead” logic….. backed by every scientific study on cannabis by every University in the world for the past 30+ years, the American Heart Association, American Lung Association, multiple state Centers for Disease Control, multiple state law enforcement groups, medical doctors and physiologists around the world…
Yeah… I guess I’ll go with the “pothead” logic.