Colorado Marijuana Bills Have Officially Been Signed Into Law [VIDEO]

The state of Colorado continues to chart new legislative territory.  Today, Governor Hickenlooper signed numerous bills into law to regulate and tax the sale of recreational (i.e. not just medicinal) marijuana.

According to the Coloradoan, the new laws include a legal driving limit for pot use, as well as required packaging methods and limits on how much pot out-of-staters can buy.  There are also many new laws regarding taxation.

If voters agree this fall, recreational pot would face a 15 percent excise tax, with the proceeds marked for school construction. There would also be a new recreational pot sales tax of 10 percent, in addition to regular statewide and local sales taxes. The special sales tax would be spent on marijuana regulation and new educational efforts to keep the drug away from children.

[via The Coloradoan.]

Looks to me like Colorado is doing all the right things to handle pot being legal.  Although, these state laws are in direct violation of federal law, which still labels pot as an illegal substance.  The governor says it's only a matter of time before the federal government responds to Colorado's (and Washington's) legal pot laws.

"We think that it will be relatively soon. We are optimistic that they are going to be a little more specific in their approach on this issue," Hickenlooper said. Pressed for details, the governor jokingly referred to unrelated scandals surrounding the U.S. Department of Justice.

"They've been kind of busy," Hickenlooper said.

[via The Coloradoan.]

Watch the video below for more info on these new laws.  What do you think of how Colorado is handling this issue?