Marijuana is now legal for recreational purposes in both Colorado and Washington. It will be regulated like liquor. This is a great step toward liberty and freedom. Marijuana is mostly like alcohol, but its use is unjustly discriminated against by government.
What if police burst into your house and found a six pack of beer – and arrested you – and made you attend rehab classes – and your “criminal record” made it much more difficult for you to get a job? Why is marijuana so different from alcohol? The voters of two states said it is not that different.
It is a proper role of government to create and enforce regulations to reasonably protect the general safety of citizens. Driving while intoxicated, whether by alcohol or marijuana, should be a crime. But if an activity does no harm to others, it is not a proper role of government to prohibit that activity.
The new state laws will likely be tested in the Supreme Court. I hope the Supreme Court finds it is not a proper role for the federal government to regulate the recreational use of marijuana. Alcohol and tobacco are mostly regulated by the States. Marijuana should be no different.