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On January 1st, Coloradans gave the rest of the country a glimpse into what it is like to buy marijuana legally. Pot tourists came to Colorado from as far away as Australia to what is being dubbed the “Napa Valley of Marijuana.”

The success of Amendment 64 came after years of grass roots organizing and brought together a broad spectrum of legalization proponents. Since the law was enacted, some 37 Pot shops have been licensed in Colorado. The early success is already encouraging other states to take more liberalizing measures. A CNN/ORC International poll released yesterday shows 55% of Americans now think marijuana should be legal, representing a significant increase from previous years.

New York’s Gov. Cuomo just reversed his stance on medical marijuana and is issuing an executive order to allow distribution in twenty hospitals across his state. Washington State has already passed a similar law and other states are indicating they want to follow suit.

Some questions linger amidst the excitement of what seems to many to be a common sense law. Profits are soaring as demand is driving not only the price of pot to new heights, but creating a boom in stocks for companies connected to the marijuana trade. Some fear that poor and working class people will be priced out of the legal market and driven to take advantage of the black market.

GUEST: Mason Tvert, Director of Communications at the Marijuana Policy Project and co-author of the book, Marijuana is Safer So Why Are We Driving People to Drink?

Visit the Marijuana Policy Project at www.mpp.org