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             Recreational Marijuana Use Now Legal in Washington, DC

   by VOA News

   A law that legalizes marijuana use is now in effect in Washington, D.C.

   The new law, which voters passed in a referendum last November, took
   effect shortly after midnight local time Thursday. The law allows
   adults 21 and over to privately possess and smoke a fifth of a kilogram
   of pot, and to grow small amounts of the plant. Buying, selling and
   smoking in public still would be against the law.

   The U.S. capital city joins Alaska, Colorado and the state of
   Washington in legalizing recreational marijuana. But unlike the three
   other states, Washington, D.C. is not completely autonomous, as the
   U.S. Congress has final authority over the city government.

   Republican Congressman Jason Chaffetz, who chairs House Oversight
   Committee, warned D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser that she and other city
   officials could go to jail for implementing the law.

   But Bowser ignored Chaffetz's threat Wednesday when she said the
   measure would take effect as planned. "Bullying the District of
   Columbia is not what his [Chaffetz] constituents expect, nor do ours,"
   she told reporters. "We do disagree on a matter of law. There are
   reasonable ways to resolve this without us threatening him or he us."

   A spending bill passed in December by the House did not include funds
   for the city to implement the marijuana law.

   City officials contend voters passed the law a month before Congress
   approved the spending bill.

   Legal experts from both the city and Congress say it is highly unlikely
   the mayor or anyone else would be jailed over the new law. But there
   are other punitive measures Congress could take against the city.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/recreational-marijuana-use-now-legal-
   in-washington-dc/2659846.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/recreational-marijuana-use-now-legal-in-washington-dc/2659846.html