FILE - In this Jan. 24, 1972, file photo, a teenager relights
the remainder of a marijuana joint. In 1972 a commission
appointed by President Richard Nixon to study marijuana said it
should be decriminalized and regulated. Nixon rejected that, but
a dozen states in the 1970s went on to eliminate jail time as a
punishment for pot arrests. On the occasion of 'Legalization
Day,' Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012, when Washington's new law takes
effect, AP takes a look back at the cultural and legal status of
the 'evil weed' in American history. (AP Photo/Jerry Mosey,
File) / AP SEATTLE (AP) The grass is no greener. But, finally,
it's legal at least somewhere in America. It's been a long,
strange trip for marijuana. Washington state and Colorado voted
to legalize and regulate its recreational use last month. But
before that, the plant, renowned since ancient times for its
strong fibers, medical use and mind-altering properties, was a
staple crop of the colonies, an "assassin of youth," a
counterculture emblem and a widely a