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Colorado Still Awaits Marijuana Legalization

DENVER (AP) — Marijuana is now legal in Washington state, but Colorado could wait almost a month before the state constitution allows people to smoke pot in private.

Colorado's elections chief planned to certify last month's vote to flout federal drug law and allow recreational marijuana use. Thursday's certification sets up a 30-day window for Gov. John Hickenlooper to declare the amendment part of the state constitution.

A spokesman for the governor said Thursday there's no date planned for Hickenlooper to make the declaration. The governor doesn't have veto power of a voter-approved amendment, but state officials may be waiting for a response from the federal government before taking the final stop on marijuana legalization.

Hickenlooper has said he is putting together a task force to examine the marijuana change.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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