The Marijuana Policy Project reported that a bipartisan bill was introduced in Congress yesterday that will give Washington and Colorado full control over their marijuana laws. The bill is sponsored by Reps. Diana DeGette (D-CO), Rep. Mike Coffman (R-CO), Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), and others:

The bill, known as the "Respect States' and Citizens' Rights Act," would add a provision to the federal Controlled Substances Act expressly stating that state marijuana laws shall not be preempted by federal law.

"This is an extremely significant political event. These members of Congress, motivated by the recent votes in Colorado and Washington, are expressing their opinion that federal law should not undermine the wishes of voters in these states," said Steve Fox, director of state campaigns and government relations at the Marijuana Policy Project.

"These members of Congress believe it is inappropriate for the federal government to respond by expending resources in an attempt to protect the criminal underground market. Any elected official who believes that we as a nation should be moving forward must acknowledge that it is time to allow states to regulate marijuana like alcohol, if that is what they believe is in the best interests of their citizens."

The federal government has not said whether it will intervene to stop state laws legalizing marijuana, but let’s hope the power goes to the people in Washington and Colorado to decide what's right for their communities.