Marijuana Officially Legal In Colorado

The people, and now the governor, have spoken. Governor John Hickenlooper signed a proclamation this afternoon to officially legalize marijuana in Colorado.

CNN reports that voters in the state passed an amendment last month to legalize marijuana in the state and now Hickenlooper has made if official.

The Colorado Governor said:

“Voters were loud and clear on Election Day … We will begin working immediately with the General Assembly and state agencies to implement Amendment 64.”

The Washington Post reports that Amendment 64 makes it legal for a person over the age of 21 to possess an ounce of marijuana. Colorado residents will also be allowed to grow up to 6 marijuana plants at their homes. It is still illegal, however, to buy or sell marijuana. It is also still illegal in Colorado to smoke marijuana in public.

As Hickenlooper signed the amendment he also announced that he would be assembling a 24-member task force to help develop marijuana regulations. The Colorado Governor said that the task force’s main job was to reconcile federal and state laws.

The executive order reads:

“The Task Force shall respect the will of the voters of Colorado and shall not engage in a debate of the merits of marijuana legalization.”

Hickenlooper added:

“(The task force will) work to reconcile Colorado and federal laws such that the new laws and regulations do not subject Colorado state and local governments and state and local government employees to prosecution by the federal government.”

CNN reports that the task force will meet for the first time later this month and will give their recommendations to the Governor before March.