Hey hey hey hey, smoke weed every day

[Wraith]

Colorado and Washington have both passed initiatives legalizing pot. Unlike California, these two states have legalized it for recreational use, not just medicinal use. I'm not sure about details of the Colorado law, but in Washington it's going to be legal to possess up to an ounce for anyone over 21. The growing and sale of it is going to be regulated and heavily taxed (25% at each transaction), and toking and driving is now the same as drinking and driving. From what I've heard, the new laws in both states are more permissive than even places like the Netherlands has, since greater amounts are allowed and the growing, processing, and wholesale are now permitted.

Naturally, it probably isn't actually going to be possible to purchase anything legally for a while yet.

Complicating this is that it's still illegal by federal laws. California has been wrestling with the Feds on this before, and that fight is probably going to get a whole lot more interesting with these two states joining in.

Any predictions on what's going to happen, or anyone want room to rant against this?

edit: article!

In a groundbreaking move, Colorado and Washington voters have passed referendums legalizing marijuana for recreational use.

The drug is still banned under federal law.
Colorado's Proposition 64 to the state's constitution makes it legal for anyone over the age of 21 to possess marijuana and for businesses to sell it.

"The voters have spoken and we have to respect their will," Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper said in a statement. "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."

Amendment 64 legalized marijuana for anyone over the age of 21 at certain retail stores. Proponents believed the bill could generate millions in revenue for the state government.

A similar measure on the ballot in Washington State legalizes small amounts of marijuana for people over 21.

Even though the issues have passed, they are likely to meet legal challenges very quickly.

In 2005, the Supreme Court struck down a California law that legalized medical marijuana in the state. The Court said Congress had the power to criminalize marijuana under the Commerce Clause.

A similar ballot issue to legalize marijuana in Oregon did not pass.

In Massachusetts tonight, voters approved legislation to allow marijuana for medicinal reasons, joining 17 other states that allow it.

In addition to making a presidential pick, voters in states across the country voted on a number of polarizing issues including same-sex marriage and physician assisted suicide.

In another historical first, Maine became the first state to approve same-sex marriage by popular vote and Maryland voters also made the decision to allow same-sex marriage by referendum.

It was backed by Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, who is widely believed to be a potential presidential contender in 2016.

The outcome in Maine broke a 32-state streak, dating back to 1998, in which gay marriage had been rebuffed by every state that voted on it.

Dozens of state-wide ballot questions were posed to voters, and their implications could reverberate across state lines.

Source

[RandBlade]

If SCOTUS have already ruled on this (Commerce Clause) what's going to have changed?

[Loki]

Obama can tell the Feds to focus on other issues. I believe that was what he did vis-a-vis California.

[wiggin]

Obama can tell the Feds to focus on other issues. I believe that was what he did vis-a-vis California.

'Prosecutorial discretion.' Still, the implementation is challenging and capricious. Better just to legalize it nationwide.

[Dreadnaught]

It's an interesting form of a sort of "civil disobedience" on an issue like this. Same with gay marriage, except the federal government doesn't see gay marriage as a crime.

How often do you get several regions within a state actively protesting national issues like gay marriage or pot by legalizing them like this?

[agamemnus]

Medical marijuana now basically permissible in Massachusetts as well.

[Hazir]

So I understand 8 states and 1 territory have equality in marriage legislation now? Funny to imagine that DOMA might go out of the window right when the bigots who wanted it most might see it needed more than ever.

[Aimless]

How's this gonna mesh with Obamacare?

[Lewkowski]

One bright spot in the election... America might finally be coming to its senses with the stupid war on drugs.

[RandBlade]

Obama can tell the Feds to focus on other issues. I believe that was what he did vis-a-vis California.

Surely that's going to make it impossible for any responsible corporations to take over the responsible creation and distribution of it ... which sort of defeats the point of legalising it?

[wiggin]

Surely that's going to make it impossible for any responsible corporations to take over the responsible creation and distribution of it ... which sort of defeats the point of legalising it?

I think the idea isn't that magically overnight CO, OR, and WA are going to become pot smoking havens. The idea is that as more and more states legalize marijuana for more and more uses, and you don't see an immediate breakdown in law and order, public opinion in the rest of the country will start to shift and you'll see more action on legalization on a federal level. Prosecutorial discretion doesn't mean that industrial scale manufacture and distribution of marijuana will become the standard in these states - but it does mean that by and large small operations won't be pursued, allowing for a certain level of state-by-state experimentation.

I don't always subscribe to the concept wholeheartedly, but I do think that the US' weird state system has its advantages in cases like this. We have 50 different incubators of democracy testing out different ideas, and that means we can iron out the problems in good ideas before they get implemented nationally.

[RandBlade]

A change in POTUS could result overnight in a change of Federal policies, a new hardline President could push rigorously against what SCOTUS has already ruled are illegal operations. That makes serious business investment a major risk.

[wiggin]

Agreed. Serious investment isn't going to happen until federal law changes.

[Aimless]

the prison industry is gonna go kaputt

[GGT]

Agreed. Serious investment isn't going to happen until federal law changes.

It's been a "serious" cottage industry in CA so far, raking in millions of dollars. cnbc ran a documentary about the profits in pot a couple of years ago.

[Veldan Rath]

So, will you admit that the Nanny State made a boo boo with this silly war on drugs?

[Aimless]

Yeah GGT are you gonna fess up?

[RandBlade]

It's been a "serious" cottage industry in CA so far, raking in millions of dollars. cnbc ran a documentary about the profits in pot a couple of years ago.

That's a bad thing. The serious investments are happening and funded not through legitimate corporations/banks but criminals.

The war on drugs will be successfully over when companies like Philip Morris etc take over production and supply. When you can go into your local Walmart, go to a counter and say "can I get 20 Marlboro lights and an ounce of Californian white".