Pot advocates have a few more reasons to toke up this week. Voters in Alaska, Oregon and Washington, D.C. have adopted measures to legalize use of recreational marijuana by adults.
The two states join Washington and Colorado. In Washington, D.C., Congress reportedly has oversight to overrule the ballot measure there.
The Alaska measure legalized possession of one ounce of marijuana and six plants (three flowering or mature) for adults who are at least 21 years old. Ballot Measure 2 grants regulatory oversight to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, but the state legislature has authority to create a marijuana board.
“Now that the campaign is over, it’s time to establish a robust regulatory system that sets an example for other states," said Taylor Bickford, spokesperson for the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Alaska, in a statement.
Taking effect on July 1, 2015, the Oregon measure legalizes pot for 1 ounce in public and up to 8 ounces at home, according to the Oregonian.
"Marijuana was very low on the priority list in Oregon," Clatsop County District Attorney Josh Marquis told the newspaper. "And now it will essentially be totally crossed off."
Colorado was the first state to legalize recreational marijuana for adults even though it remains illegal under federal law.
The state marijuana ballot measures, and Congress’ decision earlier this year to legalize the growth of hemp in America for research purposes, could eventually pave the way for national legalization of recreational pot and remove any doubt over the legality of marijuana derivatives.
"The majority of voters in these states, like a majority of voters nationwide, agree that a pragmatic regulatory framework that allows for the legal, licensed commercial production and retail sale of cannabis to adults best reduces the risks associated with the plant's use or potential abuse," said Paul Armentano, deputy director of NORML, an organization working to reform marijuana laws, in a statement.
Check out this INSIDER video here on some recreational marijuana dispensaries in Colorado.