Many are thrilled that Washington and Colorado approved marijuana for recreational use. Personally, I could care less. I don’t smoke it. I used to when in high school and the first years of college, but, it stopped being fun (note: I don’t drink much, either). I’m not worried about pot being super bad, as it is less dangerous of a drug than alcohol. If people want to use it, so be it. If States want to make it legal (though HIGHLY controlled and taxed), that’s what is supposed to happen. It will be interesting to see how the highly politicized Obama DOJ reacts, since marijuana is a federal Schedule I drug, in the same class as cocaine and crack. But, hey, Grist is here to throw cold water on those who are psyched
This likely means increased production to meet newly legal needs, which likely means more impact on the environment.
Marijuana advocates point to the fact that it’s “just a plant.†They’re not wrong! But it’s a plant that’s often shipped hundreds of miles from production to consumer, and either grown indoors at tremendous energy costs, or cultivated outdoors to the detriment of the local landscape.
And energy usage, all those evil incandescent bulbs mimicking sunlight, is bad for “climate change”. Growing outside can be bad for the real environment, and you have all those miles for shipment of pot (fossil fuels), so, it’s better that you grow it at home, but, back to energy
Unfortunately, they won’t avoid massive energy costs from the bright artificial lights used for up to 20 hours a day in order to speed up nature. About a quarter of the cost of weed grown inside is the cost of energy – which some studies say could be 1 percent of all the energy used in the U.S. And that’s been without legalization.
Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. 
oh geeze. Let’s not forget the drug gang and mafia aspect to all this. As if we didn’t already have enough drug traffic over our borders.
Geez. So, instead of getting open borders enacted, they just enact laws that help to increase the flow across the borders. Next, i see this administration shrinking border guards and increasing prosecutions against border guards.
While it may be considered on par with alcohol, we already have issues with impaired driving, now increase that with marijuana usage.
Question. If marijuana usage is now legal IN the state, how do cops ticket someone impaired while driving? Is there a specific statute that states you can’t drive while impaired with marijuana? Does this law invalidate?
What about walking around with it in public? I take it that is now legal. What is considered “recreational” weights?
One of the things that they hope to accomplish with legalization is to reduce trafficking as well as free up law enforcement. It will be interesting to see if they are legally allowed to import from out of country, but, that requires international flights.
As for impaired driving, they have to take someone for a blood test, which they do with other drugs, as well.
Im pretty sure that usage is restricted and not allowed in public.
It is very interesting looking at the text of the amendment as it simply makes it legal tobacco point, but means that there are no guiding laws. They would have to be written.
We have to pass it so we can know what is in it.
Ok. Another question. If liberals are so fond of telling us that smoking is so very bad for you, and that it is almost illegal to smoke anywhere at any time (some places do ban smoking in homes), then how do they then turn around and vote for legal marijuana?
If sugar, salt, certain oil, certain fats, certain restaurants, certain stores, certain cars have been deemed BAD for your health and have laws passed to ban them…. .. then how can they turn around and vote to legalize marijuana?
Liberals make my head hurt. Guess I should just smoke a joint ……… and let the rest of the country worry about .. everything.
Is it time to quit my job so I can start making money?