Colorado, Washington OK recreational marijuana use

Laura S. Bly | USATODAY

Colorado and Washington became the first states to legalize the recreational use of marijuana Tuesday, prompting speculation about Amsterdam-style "drug tourism" and a new round of jokes about Colorado's official song, Rocky Mountain High.

But because the ballot measures directly contradict federal law, observers say implementation is uncertain.

"The voters have spoken and we have to respect their will," said Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, who opposed his state's constitutional amendment. "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."

The Drug Policy Alliance, a national advocacy group that backed the initiatives, told Reuters the outcome in Washington and Colorado - both of which have already approved marijuana for medical use - reflects growing national support for liberalized pot laws. They cite a 2011 Gallup poll that found 50 percent of Americans favored making it legal, versus 46 percent opposed.

But the U.S. Department of Justice reacted to the measure's passage in Colorado by saying its enforcement policies remain unchanged, adding: "We are reviewing the ballot initiative and have no additional comment at this time." A similar ballot measure failed in Oregon.

The Obama administration has recently pressed an enforcement crackdown against pot dispensaries and greenhouses deemed to be engaged in large-scale drug trade under the pretense of supplying medical cannabis patients in California and elsewhere, Reuters adds.



Under the Colorado and Washington measures, personal possession of up to an ounce (28.5 grams) of marijuana would be legal for anyone 21 and older. Cannabis would be sold and taxed at state-licensed stores, a system modeled after one which many states follow for alcohol sales.



The Colorado measure limits cultivation to six marijuana plants per person, but "grow-your-own" pot would be still be banned in Washington. Both states prohibit public use.

Tuesday's vote results are "groundbreaking," says Beau Kilmer, co-director of the Rand Drug Policy Research Center. But since no modern jurisdiction has lifted prohibitions on production, possession and distribution of cannabis for recreational use, "there are two big issues: Do the states want a marijuana tourism industry, and if so would the federal government allow it?"

Jennifer Rudolph of Colorado Ski Country, a marketing organization that represents 21 ski resorts, said "we're in a wait and see mode. We're holding our breath, so to speak."



"People choose to come to Colorado for a variety of reasons, and if this is one of them, so be it," she says. "It depends on what kind of vacation you're looking for, what your priorities are."



European travel guru Rick Steves, a resident of Edmonds, Wash. and a vocal proponent of that state's successful initiative, says he's "honestly not looking at the tourism aspect...for the immediate future, I don't even see (marijuana) use going up."

In the Netherlands, where the incoming government has abandoned plans for a national, residents-only "weed pass" that would have effectively kept foreign tourists out of Amsterdam's famous marijuana cafes, "per capita cannabis use is about on par with the U.S., and use among young people is actually lower," Steves says. "It's a big deal for some American tourists, but Dutch people couldn't care less."



"You can't go out in public (in Washington state) with a cocktail or beer," he added, "and this won't be any different."

In Colorado, state criminal penalties for possession of marijuana won't disappear until the election is certified, reports the Denver Post. "The first recreational stores would be slated to open in January 2014 and would be separate from existing medical marijuana dispensaries," the paper says, adding that "local governments could ban marijuana sales (and) the amendment doesn't spell out the details of how the commercial marijuana industry will be regulated."