Alaska is now the third state with legal marijuana

Marijuana is now legal in Alaska — (Image credit: iStock)

As of midnight Tuesday, people in Alaska can legally consume marijuana for recreational, not just medical, purposes. Alaska approved the legal, private use of marijuana in a ballot measure last November, 53 percent to 47 percent, joining Colorado and Washington State. The continued prohibition on toking in public has led to some confusion, with Anchorage police ready to hand out $100 fines and authorities further north allowing marijuana smoking anywhere on private property.

A legal, regulated marijuana market, to be set up by the state's alcohol commission, won't be up and running until at least 2016, The Associated Press reports. But "as of Tuesday, adult Alaskans can not only keep and use pot, they can transport, grow it, and give it away." Oregon's voter-approved law takes effect July 1.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.