By Rick Steves

Oregonians deserve a huge congratulations for winning marijuana legalization in 2014. Measure 91 won by a decisive 12-point margin, and the Beaver State has become a national leader in marijuana reform. I had the privilege of working with the "yes" campaign to make the case that a better approach to marijuana is to regulate it, legalize it and tax it. And the people of Oregon agreed.

But now that marijuana reform has won, some people are trying to change the law in a way that's at odds with what Oregonians voted for. Most of these proposals are bad policy because they would encourage the black market that Measure 91 was designed to quell.

For example, one bill being debated by Oregon lawmakers would make it easier for cities and counties to opt-out of marijuana legalization. That defeats the intended purpose of Measure 91: to take the crime out of the marijuana equation, move sales to a regulated market and to refocus law enforcement on stopping violent crimes.

Another bad idea is to have a high sales tax on marijuana. This makes legal marijuana so expensive that illegal pot sold on the street becomes profitable again. Oregonians don't want criminals on the streets selling marijuana. In a free, regulated and reasonably taxed market, the trade will be controlled and the black market dealers will be out of business.

Oregon politicians ought to keep their hands off a law that such a large majority of Oregonians approved. Give the state a chance to get the basics right first -- like labeling, testing, childproofing and packaging standards -- before making last-minute changes that could disrupt implementing Measure 91 effectively. This is the natural maturation process of the similar laws passed in Colorado and Washington (my state) in 2012, and I believe this is the smart process for Oregon too.

On the other hand, there are bills relating to marijuana that complement (rather than undercut) Measure 91 and are in line with the peoples' will. Representative Ann Lininger has proposed an amendment to House Bill 3400 that would make it easier for Oregonians currently burdened with nonviolent marijuana convictions to get their records expunged. Given the state's enlightened attitude toward criminalizing marijuana, that's the right thing to do.

As we established well in the months before Oregonians voted for Measure 91, the implementation of marijuana laws has been unfair and racist--it's not primarily targeting rich white people ... it's poor people and people of color. For too many people, a marijuana conviction can send their life into a tailspin. It can lead to someone being denied a job, a house or a loan.

It makes no sense burden people with criminal records--especially considering the inequity of how this law was enforced--for possessing a substance that will, in a few weeks, be legal. Oregonian lawmakers ought to even consider taking it a step further than just expungement. They should make it easier for people to get out of prison if they were convicted of a marijuana offense that will soon be obsolete. Keeping them behind bars breaks apart families and wastes taxpayer money.

Across the U.S.A., Oregonians inspired citizens concerned by the tragedy of our nation's misguided war on marijuana. Oregon voters sent a clear and bold message that's proving to be a wise message. Now, we have a responsibility to protect the law Oregonians overwhelmingly voted for while making it easier for victims of the war on marijuana to get back on their feet. Please raise your voices for this important issue. The entire nation is observing.

Rick Steves lives in the Seattle area, writes European travel guidebooks and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio.