And finally… pot luck

Legislation governing the sale of the drug could take another year to pass so local groups such as the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws came together with their own supplies and handed out joints and seeds to hundreds of people in Portland to celebrate legalisation.

But the smoke-out also had a serious message – that legalisation of the drug is a tax revenue matter, a health care matter; and that is saves the court system millions of dollars.

The changes mean people who are 21 or over can possess marijuana and have eight ounces in their home as well as grow up to four plants – so long as they are kept out of public view.