BBC News, 29
August 2013
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Colorado and Washington state voted to legalise, regulate and tax cannabis |
The justice
department said it would focus on preventing underage access to the drug and
keeping drug cash from criminals, but declined legal action.
Voters in
Colorado and Washington state legalised possession and use of small amounts of
marijuana in November.
Federal law
forbids marijuana use and possession.
'Surrender'
In addition
to the two states that outright legalised the drug, 20 states and Washington DC
allow medical marijuana use, a stricter standard.
"For
states such as Colorado and Washington... the department expects these states
to establish strict regulatory schemes," the justice department said in a
statement.
The
department said it was "deferring its right to challenge legalisation laws
at this time" but said it challenge the eventual regulatory schemes in the
states.
Dan Riffle
of the Marijuana Policy Project, a pro-legalisation group, called the policy
change "a clear signal that states are free to determine their own
policies".
The
executive director of a group called the Drug Free America Foundation said
Attorney General Eric Holder, an appointee of President Barack Obama who
oversees the justice department, had "surrendered".
"He is
essentially setting up a tsunami that will no doubt result in far too many of
America's young people being subjected to chemical slavery," said Calvina
Fay.
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