00_iyc_tjd_hc_summit_800px.jpg. Share this article. Good intentions do not guarantee good regulations. Unintended consequences often eclipse the improvements a rule aims to make, ultimately causing more harm than good.
The state's voters legalized medical marijuana in 1998. Prior to Tuesday's vote, 23 states and the District of Columbia had legalized marijuana for medical purposes, while Colorado and Washington were the only states to allow recreational marijuana use.
That makes California the largest state in the country to legalize recreational use of marijuana by adults 21 and older. While marijuana remains illegal under Federal law, California penalties for possession of less than one ounce of marijuana, for non-medicinal reasons, will no longer be enforced, Kleiser said.