Possession of marijuana has
become legal in the US state
of Washington, a month after
voters opted for
decriminalisation.
From midnight (08:00 GMT)
anyone aged 21 and over was
allowed to carry up to 1oz
(28.4g) of cannabis, but
smoking it in public will
remain illegal. It has been legal for medical
use in the state since 1998. A law legalising gay marriage
also came into effect in
Washington state on
Thursday. On 6 November Washington,
Maine and Maryland became
the first US states to back
same-sex marriage in a
popular vote, and
Washington is the first of those to enact the law. The first same-sex weddings
in Washington are expected
on Sunday. Gay marriage is permitted in
six states, but those laws
were passed by legislators or
by courts. Also on 6 November,
Washington and Colorado
both voted to decriminalise
marijuana, which remains
illegal under US federal law. However, there will be
nowhere to purchase
marijuana legally in
Washington for at least
another year, It also remains unclear how
federal law enforcement
agencies will deal with
liberalisation of drug laws in
Washington and - eventually -
Colorado. Any decision to crack down
on states with liberal drug
laws could affect
Washington's plans to raise
tax revenues from a licensed
and controlled marijuana market. "We're in uncharted water
here," Seattle City Attorney
Pete Holmes said at a news
conference on Wednesday. "We've struggled with
prohibition for a century," Mr
Holmes said, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. "It's going to take some time
to substitute a state licensed
and regulated system." Backers of the Washington
law insist it does not
encourage or require anyone
to break federal law. But a regional federal
prosecutor in the state, Jenny
Durkan, told the Post-
Intelligencer that "growing,
selling or possessing any
amount of marijuana remains illegal under federal law," no
matter what state law comes
into effect in Washington. The drug remained in the
same category as cocaine,
heroin and
methamphetamine, she said,
adding that only Congress
could change that designation.

Source
www.m.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-20621210