Washington state, which has passed a law to make marijuana legal, is facing a unique challenge now that the law has gone into effect. While pot is legal in Washington, it’s not in most other states and there is no federal law legalizing the drug. Washington Governor Jay Inslee, however, notes that there are good methods of preventing the bulk export of Washington’s legal pot over state borders, where it would become illegal after going onto the black market.
Sales of legal marijuana will begin in Washington this year, but concerns in Idaho and Oregon are already mounting. In addition to trying to assuage the concerns of his fellow governors, Islee is attempting to persuade U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder not to sue to block his state from the licensure of legal pot growers. "I am going to be personally committed to have a well regulated, well disciplined, well tracked, well inventory-controlled, well law-enforcement-coordinated approach," said Inslee.
Really, it’s not that big of a deal when you think about. It’s not like Inslee is selling automatic weapons to drug cartels or anything like that. This is just a bit of marijuana. Worth noting is that Washington and Colorado both legalized marijuana last fall as part of statewide votes on the issue. The laws specifically make legal the recreational use of the drug and set up systems for licensing growers, processors and retail stores for the drug. Adults over the age of 21 can buy as much as an ounce of cannabis which is, predictably, heavily taxed.
Sales of legal marijuana will begin in Washington this year, but concerns in Idaho and Oregon are already mounting. In addition to trying to assuage the concerns of his fellow governors, Islee is attempting to persuade U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder not to sue to block his state from the licensure of legal pot growers. "I am going to be personally committed to have a well regulated, well disciplined, well tracked, well inventory-controlled, well law-enforcement-coordinated approach," said Inslee.
Really, it’s not that big of a deal when you think about. It’s not like Inslee is selling automatic weapons to drug cartels or anything like that. This is just a bit of marijuana. Worth noting is that Washington and Colorado both legalized marijuana last fall as part of statewide votes on the issue. The laws specifically make legal the recreational use of the drug and set up systems for licensing growers, processors and retail stores for the drug. Adults over the age of 21 can buy as much as an ounce of cannabis which is, predictably, heavily taxed.