Could New Jersey be Next to Legalize Marijuana?
Last night in Colorado, Amendment 64 passed making the state the first in the nation to "legalize" marijuana. But, is New Jersey next?
Anything is possible, but it doesn't look like the Garden State is going to get "greener" anytime soon. In fact, Colorado still has some hurdles to jump.
Colorado's Amendment 64 -- which won with 54 percent of the vote in favor, 46 percent opposed -- had vocal opponents during the run up to the election and many of those are sounding off in the wake of the unprecedented passage of the marijuana legalization measure. One of those opponents is Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, who reacted in a statement:
The voters have spoken and we have to respect their will. This will be a complicated process, but we intend to follow through. That said, federal law still says marijuana is an illegal drug so don’t break out the Cheetos or gold fish too quickly.
Pot is illegal on a federal level and many feel that there will be lawsuits and blockages in government trying to restrict this amendment from going through in Colorado.
There are facts supporting Amendment 64. Marijuana inmates cost prisons $1 billion a year. Illegal marijuana is a $36 billion dollar a year industry. Why not tax the heck out of it?