Voters in Maine’s largest city made history Tuesday night by approving a measure that legalizes recreational use of small amounts of marijuana among adults.
Portland is the first city on the East Coast to approve such an ordinance, with 67 percent of voters giving it the green light, the Portland Press Herald reported.
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People who are 21 and older can possess up to 2.5 ounces of the drug, and advocates say they will use it as a stepping stone toward statewide legalization.
Many young voters showed up at the polls simply to vote on the marijuana measure, the newspaper reported.
However, the party might be over as it begins, since marijuana is still illegal under federal law and local Police Chief Michael Sauschuck said officers will still enforce a state law that punishes possession of up to 2.5 ounces of the drug with a civil summons and fines of $350 to $1,000, the Press Herald reported.
Last year, voters in Colorado and Washington State changed the conversation about marijuana by approving recreational use of small amounts.
