Still wound up after the election? Maybe you need to head to Colorado or Washington to relax a little. Both of these states passed ballot measures legalization the recreational use of marijuana on Tuesday night. Yep, you read that right. Marijuana has been legalized in Colorado and Washington State for recreational use. In Colorado, the law intends for marijuana to be regulated and taxed similarly to alcohol, and it will be available only to individuals 21-years-old and older. In Washington, laws also provide for recreational use, but with steep taxes at every level of production, CNN reports.
The legalization in Colorado and Washington is representative of a wide shift in public perception of marijuana, and they aren’t the only states that passed laws surrounding the drug this election season. Massachusetts and Montana both approved medical marijuana ballot initiatives, joining 17 other states that also allow the growth and purchase of marijuana with a prescription. But marijuana acceptance isn’t universal. Arkansas voters declined to pass a medical marijuana ballot measure, and Oregon voters voted against legalizing the drug, The Huffington Post reports.
And, of course, the debate isn’t over yet. Despite the ballot measures passing in these individual states, marijuana remains a Schedule I controlled substance under the federal Controlled Substances Act. The Department of Justice has stated that their position remains unchanged, but former U.S. drug officials state that the federal government could sue to block parts of the measures, according to a report from Reuters. The Obama administration could also face a dilemma when taking a stand on this issue, as it risks alienating it’s anti-drug allies as well as it’s younger voters, Reuters reports.
What do you think of all this new legislation, collegiettes? Let us know in the comments!
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http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/07/…