WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Possession of small amounts of marijuana became legal in the District of Columbia on Thursday, launching a pot "green rush" despite a face-off between local officials and the Republican-led U.S. Congress over the new standards.
The U.S. capital joined Washington state, Alaska and Colorado in making marijuana lawful for recreational use, reflecting a rapidly shifting legal landscape for the drug. It remains illegal under federal law.
"Nationwide, it (legalization) is clearly symbolic in its ability to impact other places" in the United States, said Allen St. Pierre, executive director of NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
He called the new legal framework "depenalization" since sales were still barred, and said it was unlikely to unseat a thriving black market. City finance officials have estimated the marijuana market at $130 million a year.
