As of the moment, marijuana is only legal in two states: Washington and Colorado. However, experts believe that casual pot smoking can achieve legal status on a federal level within a decade or so.

“It’s clear and it has been clear now for a number of years that we are at a tipping point when it comes to a majority of Americans’ view toward the way we treat marijuana in this country,” said Paul Armentano of the pot lobby group Norml.

“Whether you are looking at Gallup or Rasmussen (polls), you’ll find more Americans are saying marijuana ought to be legalized and regulated in a manner similar to alcohol or tobacco rather than support the current policy,” he said.

“I think it’s only a matter of another two or three states following suit before the federal government realizes it doesn’t have the mechanism in place to enforce prohibition, and they would most likely go ahead and leave it up to states.”

It seems that the public opinion of marijuana has drastically shifted in the last two decades.

“People are recognizing that we need to learn more about what the potential impacts are of marijuana becoming part of the mainstream,” said Josh Mesiel, co-director of the Institute for Interdisciplinary Marijuana Research. “It’s become part of the mainstream in term of public opinion.”

Paul Hudson | Elite.