It's finally legal to light up in Colorado without needing a medical prescription. Colorado has officially legalized the recreational use of marijuana for adults over 21.
Gov. John Hickenlooper declared the voter-approved change a part of the state constitution on Monday, Dec. 10. This makes Colorado the second state in the United States to allow the recreational use of marijuana after Washington passed a similar measure last week.
The change allows adults in Colorado over 21 to possess one ounce of marijuana or six plants.
"Voters were loud and clear on Election Day," Gov. Hickenlooper said in a statement.
Voters approved an amendment to the state's constitution earlier, and the declaration by the governor was merely a formality. Gov. Hickenlooper, a Democrat, actually opposed the measure, but the change was approved anyways since the governor had no veto power over the voters.
Public use is still prohibited and sales of recreational marijuana won't begin until the proper regulatory measures are written up, most likely sometime next year in 2013.
Gov. Hickenlooper also announced the formation of a special task force to be in charge of marijuana use. The task force will include members from the agricultural department, law enforcement, and marijuana advocacy groups.
"The Task Force shall respect the will of the voters of Colorado and shall not engage in a debate of the merits of marijuana legalization," read the governor's decree.
Both Colorado and Washington have reached out to U.S. Department of Justice officials in order to work out the conflict between state and federal law.
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