Marijuana

Pot smokers in Colorado and Washington are celebrating passage of ballot measures that make recreational use of marijuana there legal, and tokers elsewhere are already planning “pot-cations.”

But let’s take a deep breath here. Marijuana is still illegal under federal law. Federal agents can still bust users, sellers and growers. Federal prosecutors can still bring them to trial and send them to prison. Talk about a buzz kill.

The open question is what the Obama administration, which opposed the ballot measures, will do now. As a practical matter, federal officials defer to state and local authorities to make the vast majority of busts. OnWednesday, the Justice Department said only that it’s reviewing the initiatives.

Justice should stand firm. Any benefits from legalization for nonmedicinal purposes are outweighed by risks that more kids will use pot, and more people will drive stoned.