Washington is one of the first states to legalize marijuana (alongside Colorado) and supportive residents are celebrating by lighting up their pot and puffing their first legal breath of smoke. No one was arrested or given tickets by federal agents. Even the cops were laid back, writing the following on their department’s blog:

"The police department believes that, under state law, you may responsibly get baked, order some pizzas and enjoy a Lord of the Rings marathon in the privacy of your own home, if you want to."

The bill responsible for legalizing weed in the state was heavily pushed by voters in November. The ballot was for legalizing marijuana possession, placing the state in direct contrast with the laws of the federal government, which still recognizes marijuana as an illegal substance.



Statements were released from the U.S. attorney’s office before the new law became effective, reminding Washington citizens that having marijuana in their possession was still considered to be a crime under federal law.

"Regardless of any changes in state law, including the change that will go into effect on December 6th in Washington State, growing, selling or possessing any amount of marijuana remains illegal under federal law," read a statement from the Department of Justice. "The Department's responsibility to enforce the Controlled Substances Act remains unchanged."

However, no trouble was made when citizens lit up their marijuana in the streets of Washington. The city’s police department made a statement that they have a good relationship with Seattle’s federal agents and won’t be doing anything to jeopardize it. Although the police department recognizes the federal law’s prohibition of marijuana, the officers will continue to enforce the law of their bosses, which is the general public of Seattle.

The law (I-502) came into effect at midnight today, when large crowds of pot smokers gathered in Seattle’s Space Needle for a celebration. There were officers on the scene to ensure that peace was kept. Over the next few days, the department is going to focus on reminding Washington residents to smoke indoors.

Washington’s and Colorado’s legislatures for marijuana legalization will become effective in January, when decisions will have to be made about how to tax growers and sellers of marijuana within the state. There has yet to be a decision on whether the U.S. Department of Justice will prosecute marijuana growers and sellers in those states.