Possession of marijuana became legal in Washington State on Thursday but smokers are entering a legal limbo in Washington and in Colorado, where voters also approved pot use in November.
Washington residents age 21 and over can possess up to an ounce of marijuana, but growing and selling it remains a felony and it will take a year before rules are in place,
CNN reported.
“It begs the question, if they can’t buy it through a medical marijuana shop, which only people with a prescription and medical marijuana license can, how do they get it?” Washington State Liquor Control Board spokesman Brian Smith said.
Trafficking in marijuana remains a federal crime, but the governors of Washington and Colorado have asked Attorney General Eric Holder to clarify how the Justice Department will view recreational marijuana sales in their states.
Smith said recreational pot smokers in Colorado could gain quicker legal access to pot due to that state’s “sophisticated and pretty elaborate” medical marijuana system now in place.