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Washington Legalizes Marijuana Sales
On Tuesday July 8, 2014, Washington became the second state to allow people to buy marijuana legally. Colorado started allowing marijuana sales on January 1st. Both states voted in November 2012 to legalize marijuana for adults over 21, and have created state-licensed systems for growing, selling and taxing sales. Customers started lining up at 8am with 29-year-old Cale Holdsworth, making the first purchase at Top Shelf Cannabis in Bellingham. As customers applauded, he held his brown bag aloft and said, "This is a great moment." (source)
Canadian Concerns
Some Canadians, particularly those in British Columbia who share a common border with Washington State, may wish to cross the border in order to take advantage of this. Azmairnin Jadavji, President of Pardon Services Canada cautions Canadians saying “even if marijuana is bought legally in Washington, it is illegal to take it across the border into Canada.” Furthermore, he states “it is important to know that admitting to a border official that you smoke pot, or that you are crossing the border to buy it, can result in being denied entry into the U.S. and even have you deemed inadmissible to the U.S. for life.”
