State of Colorado becomes first state to allow legal sale & purchase of recreational use of marijuana

By: Ricardo E. Calderon, J.D.
Copyright 2013 Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.

The New Year 2014 ushered in the first state, Colorado, to allow the legal sale and purchase of marijuana for recreational use on January 1, 2014, after voters approved a state-referendum approving the sale and purchase of marijuana in 2012. The State of Washington voters also approved a similar referendum in 2012 and should begin legalized sales of recreational marijuana later this year, 2014.

Over 30 private business stores licensed by the State of Colorado opened for business on the first day of legal sales of recreational marijuana while over 136 have received licenses to date.

Buyers of the legalized marijuana are required to be 21 years old and must consume the marijuana in private property with the consent of the owner. Buyers may not re-sell or provide marijuana to any person under 21 years of age. Buyers cannot take the marijuana outside the State of Colorado.

Consumers of legalized recreational marijuana waited six to eight hours outside the licensed cannabis shops in bitter cold and snowy weather to be able to become among the first legalized purchasers of marijuana.

According to the first legalized purchasers of recreational marijuana in Colorado reported the cost of an ounce of legalized marijuana ranged between $400 to $500, four times more expensive than the black-market product.

The State of Colorado regulates and licenses the legalized recreational use marijuana shops. Colorado has issued many rules and regulations controlling the sales of legal cannabis.

Coloradans made legal history in becoming the first state in the United States to allow the sale and purchase of legalized recreational use marijuana.

This historic accomplishment is not without opposition in Colorado. Many opponents of legalized recreational use of marijuana claim that this is like throwing gasoline on a widespread societal problem, particularly among young people under 21 years of age.

Proponents of the voters-approved referendum proclaimed that prohibition is over in Colorado. Others claim that marijuana has medical benefits.

Undoubtedly, Colorado’s historic first will raise the legal arguments for allowing other states in the United States to sell and regulate the purchase of legalized recreational use of marijuana and challenge states and federal laws criminalizing the use of marijuana.