Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com
When voters approved ballot language to legalize recreational use of pot Tuesday, they set the stage for a showdown with federal authorities, the Associated Press reports.
Pot advocates and opponents are closely watching Washington state and Colorado to see how federal authorities respond to decriminalization.
Federal law still prohibits the use of marijuana.
Not happy about the passage in Colorado is its governor, John Hickenlooper.
“Federal law still says marijuana is an illegal drug, so don’t break out the Cheetos or Goldfish too quickly,” Hickenlooper told the AP.
The Justice Department, which has been prosecuting pot retailers in states where medicinal marijuana is legal, has not said yet how it will respond to the new laws.
