In a press release, NORMAL’s Paul Armentano made the following statement regarding the historical events in Colorado and Washington: “Amendment 64 and Initiative 502 provide adult cannabis consumers with unprecedented legal protections.  Until now, no state law has defined cannabis as a legal commodity. Some state laws do provide for a legal exception that allows for certain qualified patients to posses specific amounts of cannabis as needed. But, until today, no state in modern history has classified cannabis itself as a legal product that may be lawfully possessed and consumed by adults.  The passage of these measures strikes a significant blow to federal cannabis prohibition. Like alcohol prohibition before it, marijuana prohibition is a failed federal policy that delegates the burden of enforcement to the state and local police.  Alcohol prohibition fell when a sufficient number of states enacted legislation repealing the states alcohol prohibition laws. With state police and prosecutors no longer engaging in the federal government’s bidding to enforce an unpopular law,. the federal government had little choice but to abandon the policy altogether. History is now repeating itself.”