celebration of washington state's brand new pot law. yes, they're smoking joints. >>> i dare you, like double dare you. obama administration bites and says, yeah, we're prepared to go off the fiscal cliff. >>> roger goodell, the commissioner football fans love to hate. there's a softer, gentler side of goodell. seriously. the nfl commissioner you don't know. "newsroom" starts now. >>> good morning. thank you so much for joining me. i'm carol costello. smoke 'em if you got 'em. recreational marijuana is officially legal in washington state. shall we say a rather mellow celebration at seattle's space needle? pot smokers lit up like it was new year's eve. new voter approved initiative went into effect midnight. this pot party technically, is illegal. wz's law bans smoking pot in public places. for now the seattle police department is turning a blind eye. this notice was sent to all officers last night. until further notice officers shall not take any enforcement action, other than to issue a verbal warning, for a violation of initiative 50

steven anderson, an er dollar in washington state sees the end result of stacking virtually every timees to work. >> i've taken two vicodin before, no problem. i've taken a valium to sleep before, no problem. i've had a couple drinks before, no problem. but all of a sudden, you add all of those into the same scenario, and it adds up and causes the complications. >> you're talking about when you say stacking, it sounds like making it exponentially worse. >> exactly. >> here's why. pop a pain pill, and you get pain relief. and at the same time, your breathing slows down. even after the pain relief wears off, that slowed breathing persists, sometimes for hours. now, if you pop another pain pill before it's time, you depress the breathing even more. some of the deadliest combinations, high-dose pain killers stacked on other pain killers. pain killers stacked with anti-anxiety medications. or pain killers mixed with alcohol. >> we have seen absolute skyrocketing of overdose deaths and it correlates directly with the number of prescriptions that are written. >> the problem in part is that he

. >>> here at home, big news in the state of washington. it's the first state in the nation to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. voters approved a ballot initiative last month making it legal for adults to possess up to an ounce of marijuana. the new law took effect at midnight and people marked the occasion with a pot party at seattle space needle overnight. it's not a blanket license to smoke pot anywhere anytime. cnn's miguel marquez has been up all night, live in seattle for us. so it's not illegal to smoke marijuana but the whole distribution network of marijuana and the distribution and sale of marijuana is still illegal. there's a big asterisk here for recreational pot users. >> reporter: for now it is. in the next year or so that will be taken care of, as this law takes effect. but today was the first big step in what people here are calling a revolution. that pot, less than an ounce is now legal to possess and use. ♪ ♪ i messed up my entire life because i got high ♪ >> reporter: anything less than an ounce no longer illega

lit up joints on the space needle in seattle given a new space needle through it to celebrate washington state's legalization of marijuana but will president obama let the states do their own thing or will he continue to push nixon's failed war on drugs. wealthy british scientists on. time to time. markets why not come to. find out what's really happening to the global economy with mike stronger for a no holds barred look at the global financial headlines tune into kinds a report. more news today violence is once again flared up. and these are the images the world has been seeing from the streets of canada. giant corporations rule today. in screwed news we don't want those think intuition feeds cooper union is one of the last completely free universities left in america and has a century old tradition of offering a college education to all of its students at no charge but all that was scheduled to change when school officials decided to start charging to ation for their graduate students and response students at cooper union took to the streets organized and rebel this all began after eleven stu

zero heartburn. >>> you're taking more than we now consider a safe dose. >> washington state has been of the places hit hardest by the prescription drug overdose epidemic. >> i think this is the worst epidemic in history. >> dr. gary franklin is medical director for the state of washington's department of labor and industries. >> when is the first time this even became an issue that you had noticed? >> by 2001, our claims managers were sending me cases of injured workers who had had a low back sprain and were dead three years later from an unintentional overdose of prescribed opioids. it was the saddest thing i had ever seen. >> so he took action, helping write guidelines that this year became state law. it applies to noncancer chronic pain patients. it mandates prescriber education. treatment plans called pain contracts between physicians and patients. and tracking of opioid use. >> if states don't renew laws using best practices and precautions so opioids can be used safely and effectively, this will never turn around. >> the washington state law does have its share of critics, many

war by doing just one thing over his next term and that is to do absolutely nothing and let washington state and colorado do their thing but will you and what are some of the more complicated policy issues that come out of marijuana legalization on the state level or answer some of these questions is steve ceric executive director of the catalyst action coalition in washington state steve welcome thank you so how high are you right now steve. actually i'm probably flyover six times the legal limit seriously should that cause us to take you more or less seriously and how does your answer to that. illustrate the difference between recreational pot recreational awful. well you know what what all the studies show and we've got studies going back forty years and these are not cheech and chong studies these are not studies from normal these are studies from the national institute drug abuse the national highway traffic safety commission the federal department of transportation not exactly pot lovers and what they've all found and they didn't want to find this they didn't want to come to this concl

to be that it is still against the law. >> it's going to have to happen because as more states, colorado, washington, do laws like this, the feds are going to have to recognize there's a changing landscape and we'll have to balance in the way that will work for the states but also the federal government. >> mr. mayor, it's always a treat to talk to you. thank you for making time in your busy schedule to spend time with us today. >> thank you. great to talk to you as well. >> happy holidays to you. i hope you get your presents. in full disclosure we talked about three different things with the mayor. want to go back to the issue with the fiscal cliff. time warner signed onto and supports what the mayor was talking about. what he signed onto. fix the debt campaign. there's disclosure about that. as we reported, the president and speaker boehner had a telephone conversation yesterday presumably about the fiscal cliff. we didn't hear a lot of production from it but we do hope to learn more about what was said if there are going to be further negotiations and whether they had a cocktail together. the whi

washington state, doesn't even get it to the hoop. that's the least of his success.hat may be the worst free throw attempt ever. you can't call this an air ball because it makes it sound better than it really was. >> i hate to brag, but i think i could have done that. >> yeah, i'm much better than that guy. >> and the 49ers win a great game. jerry newbury will break it down. >> thank you so much, appreciate it. >>> bay area radio station knocked off the air again. the latest attack on vandals and what they suspect? >>> that's it for cbs 5 news at 5:30. until then updates at cbsfs.com. good night. ,,,, ,, ,,,,,,,, >> glor: tonight the battle for syria, as rebel forces continue their advance on damascus high wvel diplomats say the conflict is getting worse amid claims al qaeda fighters in the country are getting stronger. david martin at the pentagon with the latest. with the fiscal cliff looming the future of many small businesses is up in the air. randall pinkston heads up the cost of uncertainty for one owner. a therapy already used with adults shows promise in trea

as of today, washington state has legalized, legalized, both marijuana and gay marriage. ory. yeah. yes. so today men all over washington have would different reasons to say "i love you, man." you don't know which one it is, though. >> i know. it could be both. >> are you high or proposing to me? >> the very funny and talented conan o'brien weighing in on a very serious issue. yesterday's news. while same-sex marriage isn't a new thing because several other states legalized it within the last decade. washington's marijuana law makes it the only state that allows recreational pot use. by the way, colorado is just a couple of months away from enacting the very same freedoms. while it seems legal, is it really? those two states voted to make it so but the federal government still says it isn't so. quite frankly, nobody really knows who trumps who here in the political debate. the governors of both of those states say that the feds haven't even started talking to them yet. but how to reconcile these two laws that are diametrically opposed. the feds may be tipping their hands w

the state spent $100 million a year prosecuting pot users. >> washington state is a wash as most statesre in marijuana. which is one points prohibition has failed in its purpose. >> reporter: while the feds decide what, if anything, they'll do, the states bracing for an influx of pot-smoking tourists. >> it's already happening. there's already people from france, norway, boston, and portland here. so it's already happening. >> reporter: this puts washington state one touch ahead of colorado where its law on recreational marijuana use goes into effect next month. chris clackum, nbc news. >>> a new legal drug is gaining popularity in the u.s., but some doctors are concerned that its effects are similar to the effects of using hard drugs like heroin. >> relaxes me and eases my mind where i was open to more to kill some pain. >> it's a powder that is added to beverages. in small doses it's said to be a stimulant. but bigger doses can give users a high. medical experts say users could become addicted. >> any kind of chemical that makes us feel a little bit happier or less anxious, we don't l

. >>> same-sex couples in washington state lined up for marriage licenses overnight.heir governor signed the same- sex marriage into law one month after voters approved it. also at the stroke of midnight in washington state, it became legal to smoke marijuana. so hundreds gathered near the space needle in order to light up. while marijuana is still legal under washington state law, it is still illegal under federal law. >>> england's princess kate has left the hospital where doctors were treating her for morning sickness. we have the latest. >> reporter: the duchess of cambridge smiled as she made her first public appearance since the royal family announced she is pregnant. she and her husband prince william left the london hospital where kate spent three nights for severe morning sickness. if the duchess was still feeling the symptoms, she didn't show it. she told the press she was feeling much better. kate was bundled up to guard against the cold and to protect the royal bundle of joy. >> that's fantastic that they are going to have a baby. babies are life. >> repor

big change is underway in the state of washington. coming up in just 17 minutes, how business owners are hoping to take advantage of a new law legalizing marijuana, and not just for medical use. >>> the east bay family of a bicyclist killed yesterday say they are in shock over his death. 66-year-old john pickens was riding on pal mar's road outside fremont when he crashed. his wife says he was a seasoned rider, and wore a helmet. he apparently went off the road to avoid a truck, when the bike slid on gravel, and he fell and hit his head on a rock. he is survived by his wife, three children, and four grandchildren. >>> classes are canceled at a sacramento high school tomorrow at students mourn the death of a popular teacher hit by a train. authorities say cathy carlisle was taking pictures of an approaching train, when she was hit from the back by another train. the married mother of three children died at the scene. she was known as a passionate photographer who helped students discover their inner voice. >> she always walked around,

of colorado -- states of colorado and washingtont also yesterday the department of justice reminded us that pot is still an illegal substance under federal law and doj says they will enforce the law. why? the voters have spoken. whatever happened to states' rights? i thought we believed in that stuff. all right. that and a whole lot more here on today's "full court press." but first we get the latest. our current news update this morning from lisa ferguson in los angeles. hi lisa, good morning. >> hey, bill. good morning, everyone. the white house is calling for egyptians to refrain from violence as protests are escalating right now between those who support mohammed morsi and those who opposed him. fierce street battles today killed five people and left more than 600 injured. outside the presidential palace. that is the worst outbreak of violence since morsi's election. the protests began two weeks ago when morsi took almost absolute power by exempting himself from judicial oversights and his spoofers quickly passed a draft constit

this resort in washington state has had to wait. >> impatiently. make it warmer this past week. almost 700 record high temperatures have been set in the past five days. all of that will contribute to 2012 likely becoming the warmest on record in the lower 48. while one week or one season cannot tell a climate story, a longer range report card would released by noaa, the subject, the arctic, where records were broken are this year. in 2012, there was less snow and more sea ice melting than they ever measured before. satellites started measuring arctic ice in 1979. since then half has disappeared. and just this year, 4 1/2 million square smiles melted, an area the size of the u.s. and mexico combined. >> melting on the greenland ice sheet is a beg concern. bah that is moving water that is currently, thawing the ice moving it into the ocean. if that continues it will have an impact on people who live in coastal regions. >> ginger zee, abc news, new york. >> there's a lot of folks out there who think global warming or climate change as it is better cal

before any negotiations about spending cuts begin. >>> just after midnight gay couples living in washington stateoining in the first legal same-sex marriages in the state. the governor signed the voter approved referendum into law on wednesday. >>> mexican authorities say they have found the wreckage of a small plane believed carrying mexican american singer jenny rivera and six others. the plane had been missing since early this morning. reportedly lost contact with air-traffic controllers after taking off from monterey, mexico. authorities believe no one survived the crash. rivera is the mother of five children. >>> the national menorah in front of the white house was illuminated marking the start of the 5ieight-day jewish holiday hanukkah. ♪ of course, no hanukkah celebration would be complete without a spinning dreidel. this one danced to music performed by the u.s. navy band. >>> all the talk about the fiscal cliff may seem like a far off debate over politics in washington, but the reality is if lawmakers and the president don't cut a deal by the end of the month, every american will feel th

more debates just getting fired up as washington state tries to navigate the still hazy logistics of legalizing pot. kristen dahlgren, los angeles. >>> and now to d.c., on the fiscal cliff, 26 days to go before the deadline. president obama was back at it campaign-style. went to the home of one middle class family in virginia, saying if the middle class tax cuts expire when the deadline hits it will cost the family an equivalent of a month's rent. meanwhile, john boehner started the talks after a standoff that lasted almost a week. then there was the surprise that rocked the capital today. south carolina conservative, jim demint, a hero to many, is retiring next month. to go run the influential heritage foundation nbc's david gregory, the moderator of "meet the press," has more on the surprise announcement. >> reporter: about four years early, a lot of people thought it would happen by 2017, but not at this point. in his term, demint was somebody who turbo-charged the tea party movement. he told me he would like to see the party really adopt more of these tea party ideas. that really

what's the federal government going to do in washington state and colorado. they going to allow the market to be regulated. if they don't, it's a terrible scenario. they're not going to be able to stop the legalization of possession at the state level. the feds don't have the resources to come in and bust everyday pot smokers. so you've got a base of legal customers. if you don't allow the creation of business people, a community business people to supply those customers, it's just a boom for the black market. >> your connection to pot has deep family roots. i understand you're working on a book and during the course of some research you made a startling discovery. >> marijuana has been a part of my life for a long time. my family was involved in it, i grew in miami in the '80s. my family was part of the golden era of marijuana. the '70s and '80s. when it was being brought in on big boats from colombia and jamaica. smuggled over the border of mexico. the homegrown market didn't exist. >> the basis or somewhat of the basis for your book that's going to come out

possession is now legal in washington state. but the new marijuana law is now setting the stage for a new showdown involving the feds. we get the story from kristen dahlgren. >> reporter: at seattle landmark, a celebration. as of midnight, washington state's new law makes it legal for adults to possess up to an ounce of marijuana. >> the first legal case. >> reporter: the new system is modelled on alcohol laws. it is still illegal to drive impaired or possess pot under twenty-one, they issued verbal warnings only. you can legally possess one ounce, use it in private. but stores will not be licensed to sell it for recreational use for a year, without a prescription there is still no sale. recreational users are going to say where am i going to buy this marijuana if it is illegal to sell marijuana still? >> reporter: federal law still prohibits the sale in any state. >> the federal government may prosecute anyone who uses marijuana on federal land, parks's courthouses, and could go after the large-scale growers whether or n who su

the state still has to write rules for licensing marijuana retailers. >> this is the beginning. >> reporter: washington voters passed the law, partly because of the efforts of one well- traveled resident of the state. >> hi, i'm rick steves. >> reporter: rick steves, who for 20 years has hosted his popular public television show, was among those prominent campaigning for legal marijuana. >> i spent a third of my adult life in europe, hanging out with people who think it's whacky to be locking up people for smoking pot. >> reporter: seattle's attorney also pushed for the law. >> all we've done by prohibition is to will fill -- to fill our jails and make drug dealers quite rich. >> reporter: he said legal marijuana, even with high taxes, will be cheaper than illegal marijuana. >> you want to put the drug dealers out of business? >> absolutely. >> now that marijuana is legal in washington, the state is going to start collecting taxes on it. the state hopes to collect some $500 million. marijuana continues to be illegal under federal law. >>> feeling the impact if the country goes over the cliff. republica

share data. >> we now have a prescription monitoring program through every pharmacy in the state of washingtonlows me to see every restricted medication that's been written in the last year for this patient. >> there are other states with similar databases but they are not all connected. and an effort is well under way to try to create a national information exchange with the support of the pharmaceutical industry. >> we are partnering with the national association of pharmaceutical boards on the creation of the interconnect program, which will be a national database, so a subscribing physician can know what an individual's patient's history is. >> congress has considered creating a similar federal system to track prescriptions but that effort has been stuck in legislative limbo. >> we are gonna have to make a decision to save ourselves, to save our families. >> battling this overdose epidemic is a daunting challenge. do you think that it's fixable? >> sure. >> we like our pain pills in our country. >> it is fixable. i think now just bringing this out will have a lot of corrective impact. >> n

. >> tonight residents of washington state can smoke marijuana legally as long as it's in private and no they don't need a prescription related to terminal cancer or restlessness. washington is the first state in the country to legalize the drug for recreational use. this is where you cheer or boo. but as john blackstone temperatures us, even those who must enforce the law are foggy on details. >> reporter: at seattle police headquarters given the task of explaining the new marijuana law. what do you call it? >> marijwhatnow. it's a guide. >> reporter: a lot of people are saying that. it will take a year for the state to write regulations for selling marijuana legally. that leaves confusing gaps. it's still illegal to smoke pot publicly. you can possess it. you can buy it, but nobody is allowed to sell it. nobody is allowed to grow it right now either. how do you get legal pot? >> i couldn't tell you. >> reporter: the new law passed with 56% of the vote. supporters say it will save police and courts time and money. since 2001 more than 130,000 people have been arrested in washington s

just two months after voters maine, maryland and washington state approved same sex marriage laws.. this is where the people of america are.. this is where the people of illinois are. citing the presidents stance, the white house said 'were the president still in the illinois state legislatuire, he would support this measure that would treat all illinois couples equally.' but conservative chicago democrat, represenative joe lyons, says the presidents view wont change his vote against the marriage bill... telling wgn by phone 'when he was in the state senate, president obama voted present on any controversial bill that came up.' that sentiment is echoed by other conservatives in the state, including the chicago catholic archdiocese and the thomas more society. the president is entitled to his opinion. he is only one

option one, lock the users up. >> go to washington state and arrest and prosecute those in possession of mare juwa marijuat for the defendant to say, wait a minute, i got a state law that says this is not lawful. at that point, the department can raise the issue of preem preemption and say the federal government laws preempt state laws in this regard. >> reporter: option two, fight it out in the courts. >> sue the state of washington and the state of colorado, take them to court and say, just say outright that in this field, the federal government has preempted and that the law has to fall. >> reporter: option three, cut off federal money to law enforcement. >> simply start withholding federal grants to the state because of the fact that they're not helping the state enforce federal law. >> reporter: gonzales didn't mention option four. do nothing. listen to former federal prosecutor mark osler. >> i think they should stand back. i think best course of action here is to employ prosecutorial discretion. at that macro level. and let the states do what they will. >> reporter: and just wh

washington joins several other states that allow gay and lesbian couples to wed. voters passed referendum last month. >>> marijuana possession now legal in washington state pot smokers have been celebrating in the streets of seattle. people gathered at the space needle for a new year's eve-style countdown to midnight when the measure passed by voters last month took effect. they cheered and lit joints in unison. >>> new this morning, duchess of cambridge has left the hospital where she was being treated for acute morning sickness related to her pregnancy. here she is, take a look, new video of a smiling kate middleton leaving the king edward vii hospital with her husband by her side, the royal couple's office says she will head to kensington pal -- palace for rest. she is less than 12 weeks pregnant. the couple is expecting their first child when morning sickness tends to be the worst in that early stage, first trimester. hopefully, better from here. >> she has that extra special morning sickness. >>> you saw fog this morning? >> i did. it wasn't major, just wante

same-sex couples in washington state started picking up their marriage licenses today after similar legislation passed there. >>> and another change in that state, the state of washington starting today it is legal to smoke marijuana for recreational use. >> one! >> and hundreds of marijuana enthusiasts celebrated outside the space needle in seattle. new stipulates that though you can use pot in washington, you still can't grow or sell it. >>> it's hard to imagine that weeks after hurricane sandy hit new york and new jersey, there are still people without power and some have not even been back to their homes. they're appealing to washington for help. we are in new jersey where it will take 10s of billions of dollars to rebuild. >> reporter: they're packing what they can salvage. >> 20 years of collectible cinderella stuff that my husband started collecting me for it ever since we started dating. >> reporter: their community took a direct hit from the storm which destroyed 80% of the town and left the famous boardwalk many many pieces. police chief thomas boyd says with federal help, the town wi

in washington state, which had a battle referendum similar to ours, one couple got theirs this morning just hours after the same sex marriage law became legal out there. they've been together for 35 years. >>> president obama is heading to virginia today to meet with a middle class family that will feel the impact if the country goes over the fiscal cliff. on capitol hill lawmakers are talking about the consequences of taxes going up. danielle nottingham has the latest for wjz from washington. >> lawmakers are getting an earful about why they need to avoid the fiscal cliff. >> you have to nail this down. uncertainty you is -- is killing us. >> top economists came to talk about it. president obama and john boehner spoke wednesday but publicly are holding firm on their positions. the white house has made clear the country could go over the cliff if republicans refuse to raise taxes on the top 2% of american earners. republican leaders say they will close loopholes and eliminate tax breaks to raise money but insist that bush era tax cuts must be extended for all americans. the stan stand

. >>> same sex couples began tieing the knot legally over the weekend up in washington state. >> andhere we go, voter legalized it last month and yesterday was the first day marriage ceremonies could be performed. more than 1000 same sex couples have received marriage licenses in counties all across washington. courthouses in some cities even began performing ceremonies at midnight on saturday. washington, maine and maryland became the first states to approve same sex marriage by popular vote. >>> it's up to president obama and house speaker john boehner to strike a deal to avert the fiscal cliff. they met face to face yesterday and susan mcginnis tells us the chances may be better with two people doing the negotiating. >> reporter: president obama leaves dc today headed to michigan to talk to auto workers, part of his strategic to gain support. the president and house speaker john boehner met one on one. no details were leaked, we know the main points remain, raising taxes on high earners and cutting programs like medicare. >> they've started to tango. more republicans are accepting

that happens tomorrow in washington state.here are many, many unanswered questions as to how this will work in the actual real world, right? questions the senate police department is trying to answer with its previously lauded for its awesomeness on this show faq page called "marijwhatnow?" but there are many unanswered questions about how this is going to work in washington. for one, it is still illegal to sell marijuana, but perfectly legal to possess an ounce of marijuana, as of tomorrow. and once they have fully implemented their laws, the states will host legalized, regulated marijuana industries. not just decriminalization, but pot incorporated. licensed by the state and paying taxes to it. this, all while the federal government still views possessing and certainly growing, selling, and distributing marijuana as serious felonies. how's that going to work is the big question that hangs over whatever celebrations the citizens of washington might engage in tomorrow. on a side note, tomorrow is also the first day that same-s

washington state becoming the first state to legalize recreational use of marijuana this week, reopeningn trust. perry bacon. perry bacon has become a brain trust regular here. political editor for the grio, and an msnbc contributor as well. good to see you there in d.c. >> good to see you, craig. >> and my old friend joel sawyer, former director of the south carolina republican party. also former state director for presidential candidate jon huntsman. good to see you there, joel. >> good to see you too. >> i got ari's answer here. perry, i'll start with you. is the obama administration taking a considerable chance by taking a stand against weed states like colorado and washington state? >> i don't think they're taking any kind of risk. i mean, in this issue, i think the politics are we talk about on every issue are important. but here the obama administration just does not support legalizing marijuana. obama has been asked about this over and over and over again in his four years. he is just not there yet, is what it sounds like to me. and therefore i'm not surprised that he is not allo

washington. he's autistic. he and his mother, lisa, depend heavily on state, local and private programs that get grants from washingtonial private school, a single mother of three, she worried no deal on capitol hill could mean support services for children with special needs will dwindle or disappear. >> i he don't think we would be able to basically afford the kind of services that we have for him now at home. then there's the emotional consequence of that. >> her worst fear? not being able to provide what's needed to keep cara home and out of an institution. >> you have people around you who really understand your child and are really willing to support you and support you in keeping your child at home, and so the thought that some of that would go away and that we would have a difficult time maintaining him at home is is probably the most devastating thing. >> if there's no deal here, that could mean across of board cuts for agencies including the federal office of special education and rehabilitation servic services. it this fiscal year maryland, where lisa lives, received more than $300 million in federal funds.

licenses will be available for same-sex couples in washington state as well. the state's governor signed the law into effect wednesday and takes effect today. some counties there started issuing wedding ser tiff katz and licenses just after midnight. also today in washington state, recreational use of marijuana is now legal. >>> this afternoon, the first family will flip the switch for the lighting of the christmas tree. actor neil patrick harris will host this year. the event will have performances by james taylor, kjason mraz, ad the fray. we're going to be there. you look for live coverage on nbc 4 and our website, nbcwashington.com. 15th street will be closed between constitution at pennsylvania avenues. 17th street will be closed between constitution and new york avenues. but those roads should reopen around 7:00. >> it's always a very lovely event. it is now 4:37. 37 degrees out there. be careful what you post online. the judge's order for a woman who wrote negative reviews on yelp. >> a rare storm down under. it's left quite a mess. >>> a shock to the sy

washington state does not allow home-grown cultivation. >> they are importing it from where? ngton in cultivation centers. >> i see but not at home? >> you can grow up to six plants at home in washington. >> in colorado? >> yeah. >> and then you can legally sell it and the state gets a sales tax. >> that's right. in one year because they have to put the regulations out, promulgate them and fight and all, but more or less a year from now people will be able to go into these places like you and i can get alcohol and tobacco on and caffeine and use it possibly in a private setting. you can't use it like in a coffee-shop setting like in amsterdam. >> by the way, i was in amsterdam 10 days ago. i looked for one of those damn pot coffee shops. carol and i walked. i was dragging her all over in the rain downtown amsterdam. >> couldn't find one. >> you could tell by smell. >> i figured you couldn't walk around six blocks without finding one but it wasn't like starbucks. they weren't on every corner. are these going to be like in denver they will be like pot cafes, pot stores? or you h

the part of the laws that say that washington and colorado state governments should set up a legal regulatorym like with alcohol, those don't enter into force until july in the case of colorado and december next year in washington, so nobody has to do anything soon. all that's going to change is people can possess up to an ounce without getting arrested. >> while we sort of debate back and forth what the feds are going to do about the guy whose smoking a joint in his house, how about the more macrolevel of this. let's say washington state tomorrow needs to start setting up the regulatory boards, the commissions, those who oversee collecting taxes because this is supposed to be a tax boon, according to some, for many states. are they now subject to federal law, because essentially they're involved in the drug business. >> you have the gov governors in both states. they're asking the feds what to do, and the feds are saying we're not sure. now, you know, two years ago when there was an initiative in california to try to legalize marijuana that fell just short, the attorney general holder warned

the state of washington today also became the first state to legalize marijuana for any old reason you 21 years old no prescription needed just get baked as the police department puts it. you will recall this all began last month when voters in washington state and in colorado each passed ballots that legalized weed. colorado's law has yet to take effect it is raising some interesting questions legally. among them, how cops might enforce laws against driving while stoned. in other words, how bakeside too baked to drive? william la jeunesse, how about it? >> like will alcohol, a lot of people smoke pot and drive. like too many martinis, too much pot makes for a bad driver. two questions. so how much pot is too much and how do cops know? well, washington state we're about to find out. >> you want to know why i pulled you over? littering and smoking the refer. >> driving while high, while legal research shows more drivers are toking up. studies like this one in europe show too much marijuana effects coordination and judgment. >> one of the first and most important being reduced ability to

struck midnight fired up joints to commemorate their state's new marijuana legalization law going into effect in a blow to nixon's failed drug war washington became the first state the nation to officially legalize recreational marijuana colorado set to follow suit on january fifth ironically washington's new law took effect just one day after the anniversary of prohibition of alcohol being repealed in america in one hundred thirty three over the coming weeks and months washington state will craft a highly regulated market for the new legalized drug and license growers and distributors and a twenty five percent tax that will bring in much needed revenue for the state the police response to this new law was welcoming the seattle police department spokesman issued a statement reading the police department believes that under state law you may responsibly get baked order some pizzas and enjoy a lord of the rings marathon in the privacy of your own home if you want to. now comes the hard work what are the legal levels of t.h.c. to drive or not to drive how do you handle tax or not taxing people who grow pot their windowsill but if the feds inv

those in washington state have to wait three days to be married. -sex weddings in maryland will begin on january first. maine will legalize the practice on december 29. the three states are the first to approve same-sex marriage by popular vote. in economic news, new jobless claims fell sharply last week, after a temporary spike in the wake of hurricane sandy. and on wall street, stocks managed modest gains today. the dow jones industrial average added 39 points to close at 1,374. the nasdaq rose 15 points to close at 2,989. the u.s. senate has overwhelmingly approved a bill normalizing trade relations with russia. but the measure also contained provisions to punish russian officials accused of human rights offenses-- a move the russian government has denounced. the house passed the legislation last month. president obama has pledged to sign it into law. it was all smiles today for the duchess of cambridge, as she left a london hospital. the former kate middleton was discharged after being treated for severe morning sickness. the duchess emerged wit

those would be extreme moves, and wore inappropriate. >> reporter: state senator frazier urges the president to respect the voters of washington>> who knows? maybe we are the first of many states that are going to do this and 100 years ago, this is what happened with the women's right to stretch was against the federal level for women to vote and a few states marched ahead. >> reporter: a political science professor said, "my sense is that they will look the other way, but find a couple of high rofile people and bust thempt. but leave everyone else completely alone." if that happens the target could be on frank schnarr, but he thinks he is just first and more private smoking rooms will pop up. >> more power to them. if they can raise revenue for the state, that is what we're in business for frank schnarr says buying or selling marijuana in his club is not aloud. >> more fallout from the prank involving a british nurse and the duchess of cambridge and hear what british police are urging australian authorities do. >>> we'll tell you about a private meeting today between the president and a top republican. >>> i think the whole n

under washington state laul couples must present marlt certificates within three days in advance.dreds of washington state weddings are expected today. >>> you know lady gaga is in russia and her tweet caused quite a stir. she said this. thank you, prime minister, medvedev for not standing by your party's anti-gay problem began da law and instead supporting my show and fans all over russia. >>> news of fiscal cliff talks have been making headlines. here is their twist on budget talks for today's late-night laughs. >> we'd like to announce that we have reach and agreement to avoid the fiscal cliff. in order to get the support of the speaker, i agree there would be no tax increases. i repeat, zero tax increases. now, why would i do that? i mean i won the election. i had the leverage. why give in? well, simply put, i felt sorry for this man. earlier this week i found my way into the congressional cafeteria, and what i do see? john boehner sitting by himself. all alone. not a single member of his party wanted to share his company. he didn't even have any milk to drink because, well, t