The Department of Justice is reminding Americans that marijuana remains illegal — despite ballot measures passed by Washington and Colorado legalizing the substance for recreational use.
“The Department’s enforcement of the Controlled Substances Act remains unchanged,” Justice Department spokesperson Nanda Chitre said. “In enacting the Controlled Substances Act, Congress determined that marijuana is a Schedule I controlled substance. We are reviewing the ballot initiatives and have no additional comment at this time.”
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It echoes a warning from Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, who warned that the new state law did not comport with federal law.
“Federal law still says marijuana is an illegal drug, so don’t break out the Cheetos or Goldfish too quickly,” he said.
Both states made history Tuesday when voters dropped all civil and criminal penalties for marijuana possession — and called for the states to set up a regulatory system allowing for the taxation and sale of the drug, just like alcohol.
Previously, a number of states have decriminalized pot possession or legalized it for medicinal uses — but a major effort to legalize pot in California failed in 2010.
