There are some states here in the US now where weed is legal (medicinally) but, only by jumping through a lot of hoops, seeing one of the very few 'specially-licensed' doctors (I've heard of 1-3 year waiting lists) & convincing them that the need for it is warranted & legitimate, getting them to prescribe it for you...and then, very likely having to spend 1/2 of a day driving to get your prescription filled + every time that you need to refill your prescription. My state, for example, only has 2 or 3 "state-licensed" and approved "Dispensaries" where you can go to pick it up, I think.
So, yeah - I suppose that, technically, it's legal -but- I can assure you in all honesty that, were I inclined to get/use some (which, I'm not); I would certainly be able to get it - albeit via an...'alternative' method & process in about 10 minutes 
I can assure you, being a Californian and a stoner myself, there are VERY little hoops to jump through. Tell em you have a pain, have trouble concentrating or sleeping, or have anxiety and you get yourself a prescription.
In Colorado it's FULLY legal for recreational use.
didn't know that about CO.
as for jumping through the hoops - I'm sure it varies from state to state and, I'm not surprised in the least that a state like CA would make it easier on the person trying to get it - while a state like mine (NJ), would do absolutely everything conceivable to inconvenience & draw-out the process for as long as they possibly could 
The Colorado ruling was somewhat recent, but it's apparently started a trend in many other states. There's been a bill being passed around in PA that's supposedly looking to do the same thing with marijuana here. It makes sense to legalize it so they can collect tax on the whole thing. As you mentioned, you could easily find some if you wanted to. Almost anyone at this point could. It's time to stop fighting it and put our nation's resources to better uses than policing weed usage.
I agree with you Bobster but, I'm going to even take it a bit further and say that:
1st We should have learned our lesson (and remembered it!) from Prohibition; brilliant success that *That* was
2nd We *Lost* the "War on Drugs" pretty soon after we started it! We, at least, got out of Vietnam once we were beaten (and rightfully so!) Why the fuck throw more money & lives away against an 'enemy' that we'd never be able to beat...Hmmm; methinks that that looks, smells, tastes, and feels very much like the same lesson that we didn't learn from & forgot about from Prohibition - anyone seeing a pattern here?
3rd And yes, of course I know that this isn't popular and/or widely accepted, plus - it's probably (potentially) controversial, and...it's assuredly not "PC" in the least, but - I'm gonna go right ahead & state my opinion + say what I think and feel; as is my wont
IMO, we should just go ahead & legalize...*Everything*.
- Disband the useless DEA (*not* the FDA, mind you) and save the (at least) millions of dollars a year that we throw away there.
- Regulate, evaluate, and tax the shit out of these legal versions of all of the drugs - the impurities + unknown dangerous substances with which these street-level dealers cut their drugs kills exponentially more people per year than a pure & unaltered (aka "un-stepped on") ever does, would, or could
- Speaking of these street-level dealers - many of them have ties with/and are connected to (aka "associated" with) street and/or prison gangs...well, if the drugs are QC'd & bought from the state = eliminates the 'job' of drug dealer (since safer & unaltered versions can now be bought from the state for significantly less money (take my word for it - the 'legal' versions of heroin, cocaine, benzo's, (meth)-amphetamines, special K, etc, etc, etc; which, btw, do indeed all already exist & can be found in most hospitals & pharmacies) are obscenely cheaper & more inexpensive than most people would/could ever believe
- Speaking of prison gangs...well, the 'prison' part, at least; wtf?! While we're at it...why not stop putting people in prison for non-violent, personal possession charges (keep in mind - w/o any more need for dealers/distributors = those imprisoned on distribution charges) will eventually decrease until those prisoners (in addition to the prisoners charged w/ those petty possession offenses) and are phased out until they no longer exist. Now, just take a guess at the staggering # of our citizens doing time for 1 of these 2 charges -and- (this amount varies by state) multiply each & every one of those millions of Americans by the average cost of housing 1 prisoner for 1 year...$30,000 to $50,000
- All of that aside, which of us doesn't approve of & welcome the day when predatory dealers stop enticing (and yes, recruiting) our children, families, and friends because they've been made obsolete?
- ALL of the money that would be saved + the added revenue of taxation...Holy Shit! If we even split it up 50% by 40% by 10% (let's say the 50% for help, treatment, rehabilitation (for those who want/are ready for it), and education + the 40% to put toward lowering (and eventually eliminating) our disgustingly obscene & irresponsibly inflated & tragic defecit, and that last 10%...maybe, let's think about using that for replenishing & shoring-up our Social Security funds + programs so that, you know - Americans could have some more confidence & security in our government - not just for us...but for those who come after us.
I know that this sounds crazy to a lot of people *BUT* consider this!
We're not waiting to see what the outcome of our little "War on Drugs" is going to be.
Not only are we already living in, with, and during its outcome...but, we've already been doing so for more than enough years!
Let's face it - drugs aren't ever going to go away and/or be "beaten". The sooner that we accept this reality & fact = the sooner that we can go about changing some of the worst aspects of it into useful, helpful, realistic, and productive aspects.
IMO, There's less shame in losing and/or being beaten than there is in not *realizing* that you've lost/been beaten because, while still under the delusion/illusion of "tommorow's gonna be different", "I'll never give in or surrender because - I can still win...maybe", and/or "if only/when _____, then _____"; "things will change & be different...maybe".
Damn man!
Even ask any addict...even *they* know recognize these *lessons* as/for the falsehood & wishful thinking that they really are
