First guy to buy legal, non-medical marijuana in Colorado

[dicksi]

Queue here to get high: Hundreds of marijuana users line up at Colorado stores as state becomes the first to allow sales for recreational use

Thousands celebrate Colorado becoming the first state in America to legally sell marijuana for recreational use

Across Denver, cannabis 'End of Prohibition Parties' got underway

Sean Azzariti, 32, a former Marine and veteran of two tours of Iraq will become the first legal customer in the nation's history

He has become the face of the legalization campaign after turning to marijuana to treat his PTSD

So far, 136 stores have been granted licenses across the state to sell recreational cannabis

78 marijuana cultivation facilities have been licensed by the state

The legalization is not universal - 33 cities and towns across the state opted out of the new laws

But smoking marijuana in public remains illegal

The most likely to pass that legislature next are Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Rhode Island and Vermont, experts say

Historic first sales of legal recreational marijuana began across Colorado Wednesday when Sean Azzariti bought the first bag.

Azzariti, a Denver-based Iraq war veteran who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and could not -- until now -- get marijuana legally to help alleviate his symptoms, made his purchase at an 8 a.m. press event.

Here's Azzariti with his bagged marijuana purchase, an Indica strain called Bubba Kush:

Azzariti's purchase at 3D Cannabis Center in Denver was $59.74, with tax, for 3.5 grams of Bubba Kush and a bag of pot-infused truffles.

Although Colorado has had medical marijuana laws on the books for years, PTSD was not covered under state statutes. Now that recreational marijuana can be purchased and consumed by adults 21 and over, Azzariti can buy it legally.

The event at 3D Cannabis Center, one of a few dozen Colorado dispensaries selling recreational pot for the first time, was organized by key Amendment 64 backers Mason Tvert, communications director for Marijuana Policy Project; Brian Vicente, spokesman for Sensible Colorado; and Betty Aldworth, spokeswoman for the National Cannabis Industry Association.

"A lot of folks have been referring to what is happening in Colorado as an experiment with legal marijuana," said Tvert to a packed crowd inside 3D. "But, in fact, the experiment was marijuana prohibition and that experiment dramatically failed, just like the so-called great experiment of alcohol prohibition."

A line of exuberant prospective marijuana buyers formed around the 3D building in falling snow, eager to join Azzarti and take advantage of Colorado's new recreational marijuana law.

“The era of marijuana prohibition is officially over in Colorado,” said Rob Kampia, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project, in a press statement after sales began. “The state is demonstrating to the rest of the nation and the entire world that regulating marijuana works.

Colorado voters approved Amendment 64 in 2012. For more than a year, marijuana consumers have been able to legally possess up to an ounce of marijuana and grow up to six plants for their personal use, but Wednesday marked the first day that they can legally purchase marijuana at a dispensary.

Iraq War Vet Is The First Person To Buy Pot Legally In Colorado

Edited January 2, 2014 by dicksi