Marijuana legalisation in Washington State and Colorado

In November 2012, voters in Colorado and Washington State took the historic step of rejecting the decades-long failed policy of marijuana prohibition by deciding to permit the legal regulation of marijuana sales, cultivation and distribution for adults. This document explains why states can chart a different course without violating federal law, and summarizes the similarities and differences between Colorado and Washington State’s new laws.

Voters in Colorado and Washington State made history in 2012 by rejecting the decades-long failed policy of marijuana prohibition and deciding to legally regulate marijuana sales, cultivation and distribution for adults.

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