aGameOfThrones
02-23-2014, 03:34 PM
Governors say legalizing marijuana is a step too far
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Washington and Colorado may have blazed the trail by legalizing marijuana, but not all U.S. states are rushing to follow their lead, governors from several states in the Midwest and the East Coast said on Sunday.
"I don't support the legalization of marijuana, and that's been my position for a long time and will continue to be," Indiana Governor Mike Pence, a Republican, said on CNN's "State of the Union".
The two western states became the first to legalize marijuana for recreational use through a ballot initiative in 2012.
Last month, Colorado became the first state to open retail outlets legally permitted to sell marijuana to adults for recreational purposes, in a system similar to what many states have long had in place for alcohol sales.
Washington state is expected to follow Colorado's lead.
But the drug's use is still illegal under federal law, and marijuana businesses have struggled to access the U.S. financial system since banks are reluctant to deal with them.
Earlier this month, the Obama administration issued new guidance aimed at encouraging banks to start doing business with state-licensed marijuana suppliers.
The move prompted speculation other states might also consider legalizing the business.
But several governors did not see any follow-the-leader effect on the legalization of marijuana for recreational use, as Washington and Colorado have done.
Connecticut, for example, does allow pot use for medical reasons and has lessened the punishment for possessing small amounts of the drug, but has not made it legal.
"I think that's about as far as we go," the state's Democratic governor, Dannel Malloy, said on the CNN program.
http://news.yahoo.com/governors-legalizing-marijuana-step-too-far-190654524--sector.html
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Washington and Colorado may have blazed the trail by legalizing marijuana, but not all U.S. states are rushing to follow their lead, governors from several states in the Midwest and the East Coast said on Sunday.
"I don't support the legalization of marijuana, and that's been my position for a long time and will continue to be," Indiana Governor Mike Pence, a Republican, said on CNN's "State of the Union".
The two western states became the first to legalize marijuana for recreational use through a ballot initiative in 2012.
Last month, Colorado became the first state to open retail outlets legally permitted to sell marijuana to adults for recreational purposes, in a system similar to what many states have long had in place for alcohol sales.
Washington state is expected to follow Colorado's lead.
But the drug's use is still illegal under federal law, and marijuana businesses have struggled to access the U.S. financial system since banks are reluctant to deal with them.
Earlier this month, the Obama administration issued new guidance aimed at encouraging banks to start doing business with state-licensed marijuana suppliers.
The move prompted speculation other states might also consider legalizing the business.
But several governors did not see any follow-the-leader effect on the legalization of marijuana for recreational use, as Washington and Colorado have done.
Connecticut, for example, does allow pot use for medical reasons and has lessened the punishment for possessing small amounts of the drug, but has not made it legal.
"I think that's about as far as we go," the state's Democratic governor, Dannel Malloy, said on the CNN program.
http://news.yahoo.com/governors-legalizing-marijuana-step-too-far-190654524--sector.html