[PHOTOS] Colorado Gets Historically High On The First Day Of Legal Weed Sales
The first recreational marijuana industry in the U.S. opened Wednesday in Colorado, kicking off an experiment that will be watched closely around the world.
Marijuana users celebrated on January 1 as Colorado became the first US state to allow retail cannabis sales
The western state famous for its ski resorts and breathtaking mountain vistas has issued 348 retail licenses – including for small pot shops – that can sell up to 28 grams of pot to people aged 21 or older.
latinpost.comWashington state on the Pacific Coast will follow Colorado several months from now, when it also allows stores to begin selling cannabis.
themalaysianinsider.comIraq war veteran Sean Azzariti was the first person to legally purchase cannabis for recreational use in the United States
"It's huge," he said at a marijuana store along a light industrial corridor outside downtown Denver. "It hasn't even sunk in how big this is yet."
cnn.comIndeed, before the 3D Cannabis Center opened at 8 a.m. MT, more than 100 people were waiting in snowfall and cold under gray skies to be the next buyers of recreational pot under a landmark law voters approved in 2012.
smh.com.auAzzariti was selected to be the first buyer at the 3D Cannabis Center because he was a Marine from 2000 to 2006 who now suffers post-traumatic stress disorder after two tours in Iraq. He can't obtain medical marijuana in Colorado because PTSD isn't a qualifying condition for that treatment, he said.
yahoo.com"This is what we worked so hard for the last few years," he said of the voter-approved constitutional amendment that led Colorado to become the first state in the nation to open recreational pot stores to anyone age 21 and older. "It's mind-blowing."
cnn.comAzzariti, 32, bought an eighth of an ounce of pot, plus chocolate truffles laced with marijuana. Those treats are called "edibles" at the store.
The price: $59.50.
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock said he was proud of the city
"Denver is a progressive city, a vibrant city, and it's incumbent on all of us to continue getting this right," Hancock added.
guardianlv.com"I want to thank the businesses and consumers alike for acting responsibly and with great accountability today," he said in a statement.
themalaysianinsider.comWhile opponents of legalised cannabis warn that it can lead to higher rates of marijuana use and addiction, its upporters hailed its legalization as historic
The opponents also say that marijuana users face a raft of health and psychiatric problems, noting that pot is often a gateway drug that can lead to abuse of more serious substances.
voanews.com"The state is demonstrating to the rest of the nation and the entire world that regulating marijuana works," said Rob Kampia, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project, one of the leading backers of the ballot initiative to legalise marijuana.
latinpost.com"It's only a matter of time before lawmakers and voters in more states adopt similar laws regulating marijuana like alcohol."
themalaysianinsider.comGALLERY: Colorado's recreational marijuana stores make history