Gov. John Hickenlooper Signs Declaration Legalizing Pot In Colorado

From this day forward marijuana is now officially legal after Gov. John Hickenlooper signed the declaration today.

Voters back in November passed Amedment 64 allowing users 21 and up to consume marijuana legally. In a close race the Amendment was passed with 55 percent of voters supporting the act.

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

So what does this mean moving forward? Well, it is technically still illegal to sell and consume marijuana until the Colorado Legislature meets to define and outline all aspects of the new change. Certain things the Legislature will discuss is the framework of how to distribute it, how to tax it and change the existing statutes involving the now legal substance.

The federal governemnt still views marijuana as an illegal substance however, Gov. John Hickenlooper plans to work closely on how the federal government intends to enforce the substance. According to the governer's office the federal government has not responded to the newly passed Amendment.

In a statement from Gov. Hickenlooper he said, “As we move forward now with implementation of Amendment 64, we will try to maintain as much flexibility as possible to accommodate the federal government’s position on the amendment."

[Coloradoan]