One year and eight months after 55% of
Washington voters chose to end the failed experiment of marijuana prohibition, regulated retail marijuana stores have finally begun opening to the public. Washington is the second state to allow adult-use marijuana sales;
Colorado’s retail stores have been operational for the past six months.
According to the
Seattle Post Intelligencer, 25 shops across the state are expected to open today, with more opening in the weeks and months to follow. Adults 21 and over will be able to purchase up to an ounce of marijuana from licensed establishments that must pay taxes and ensure that products are tested and properly labeled. Because the first growers have not been licensed for long, prices may be high and supply may be short in these first months of legal sales.
For decades, marijuana prohibition has drained our federal, state, and local governments of resources while failing to prevent use or abuse. The voters of Washington wisely chose a new approach: Taxing and regulating marijuana cultivation and distribution to adults. Considering it is far safer than alcohol, it’s about time it’s treated similarly.