Colorado: 55 percent of voters approved Amendment 64 in November 2012; retail sales began Jan. 1.
Washington: 56 percent of voters approved Initiative 502 in November 2012; retail sales might begin this week.
California: 54 percent of voters rejected Proposition 19 in November 2010; advocates plan to try again in 2016.
Oregon and Alaska: Voters will decide on ballot measures in November.
District of Columbia: Advocates will submit petition signatures
today to qualify a measure for November’s ballot.
Long a leader in making marijuana mainstream, California is watching Colorado blaze a trail for legalized recreational pot with avid eyes.
The mood in Colorado is good. Six months in, few of the predicted problems have materialized, tax revenue and tourism are booming, and public support for legal pot appears to be growing.
Voters approved legalization in 2012 by a margin of 10 percent, but a March poll found Colorado voters now favor it by a 22-point margin. And 61 percent believe it has made the state better or not changed it. Another poll in April found that most people believe it’s been good for the state, hasn’t made driving less safe and will save taxpayers money and increase personal freedom.
Still, there have been problems.
Hospitals are seeing more kids made ill by edible marijuana products including candy and baked goods, and more adults are having psychotic episodes. Opponents and supporters are still debating whether crime is up or down. And marijuana businesses are still trying to build working relationships with banks that are leery of the federal marijuana ban.