The 1877 bargain ended federal occupation of the South and Northerners efforts to ensure the rights of Southern blacks. Todaythe Government of the United States abandoned you, the Republican governor of South Carolina told his African American supporters, as the last federal soldiers departed.
Already, 25 states have legalized medical marijuana, while four statesâAlaska, Colorado, Oregon, and Washingtonâhave legalized recreational pot, as has Washington, D.C. Several more states could soon be joining those ranks.
Currently there are no state programs of legal access to marijuana for medical purposes. In 1996, California and Arizona passed statewide voter initiatives that legalize marijuana for medical purposes in those states. The Arizona initiative was overturned by the state legislature.