August 21, 2013 04:11 PM UTC

Sen. Steadman: DOJ Has Given "Tacit" Approval To Pot Sales

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• by: Colorado Pols

Talking Points Memo's Dylan Scott reports, for what it's worth:

Colorado officials say they believe they have “tacit approval” from the U.S. Justice Department to implement voter-approved laws legalizing marijuana.

“We seem to have tacit approval at this point,” State Sen. Pat Steadman, a Democrat who co-sponsored two bills establishing the state’s regulations for recreational marijuana, told TPM in a phone interview Tuesday.

Another source directly involved in conversations with Justice, who asked not to be named to speak freely about private discussions, agreed with that characterization.

“They’re well aware of what we’ve been up to,” the source told TPM. “I do think that it’s fair to say that we have their tacit approval at this point.”

In addition to businesses hoping to sell marijuana to the public beginning next January, a major revenue measure is headed for this year's ballot to tax the retail sale of the drug. Federal leeway to carry out the provisions of Amendment 64 will make that tax measure easier to pass, and if we truly get to the moment where tax revenue starts to flow into state coffers…well, that's what everyone is waiting for.

Except for the smokers, of course. They'll just be happy to not buy it on the street corner.