Washington to Decriminalize Pot Without DOJ Guidance

Thanks to a ballot measure passed last month, adults in Washington will be allowed to use marijuana for recreational purposes when the state officially decriminalizes the substance Thursday. However, officials there are concerned about the lack of guidelines from the Department of Justice given that the federal government still considers the drug illegal.

The Washington Post:

State officials say the Justice Department is creating confusion by remaining silent about what steps it may take in Washington and Colorado, which passed initiatives in November legalizing the manufacturing, distribution and possession of up to an ounce of marijuana.

Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire (D) met with Deputy Attorney General James Cole at the Justice Department, but came away with no answers.

“They said they were reviewing it,” Gregoire’s spokesman, Cory Curtis, said Friday. “They didn’t give us a timeline when they would provide clarity.”

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— Posted by Tracy Bloom.