Oregon marijuana smokers light up

PORTLAND: Crowds counted down the minutes to midnight then lit up joints as smoking marijuana became legal in Oregon yesterday, part of a growing legalisation movement spreading through the US.

Hundreds gathered on the Burnside Bridge in downtown Portland and smoked under the glow of a neon city sign, marking the moment the law allowing recreational use, backed by voters in November, came into effect.

The legislation opens the way for shops to sell marijuana by next year – though some lawmakers say they will still try to block retail outlets.

Similar legislation is already in force in Alaska and Washington State, reflecting a shifting legal landscape for a drug that remains illegal under federal law.

Further down the coast, legalisation campaigns are under way in California, while recreational use is already allowed in Colorado and Washington D C.

About half the country’s states allow marijuana for medical use. Oregon residents aged 21 and older can now smoke privately, grow up to four plants and possess up to eight ounces (227 grams) at home and one ounce outside home, the Liquor Control Commission said.

Driving while high remains illegal and pot cannot be transported out of state, even to neighbouring Washington, where retailing started last year, the commission said.

Public smoking also remains illegal, but there were no immediate reports of arrests at the Portland bridge.