Photo by futureatlas.com

You probably have some questions about Initiative 71 passing on Tuesday. We have answers for you. You’re welcome.

Is pot legal in D.C. now, or what?

No. Marijuana is not legal in the District of Columbia. Repeat: marijuana is not currently legal in D.C.

But, but, I definitely voted to legalize it on Tuesday and you guys reported that it overwhelmingly passed!

This is true! Initiative 71 proposes legalizing the possession (up to two ounces) and cultivation (up to three mature plants) of small amounts of marijuana, and it overwhelmingly passed with 69.4 percent of voters voting in favor. But, like all legislation and ballot initiatives in D.C., it doesn’t just become law overnight. Because of the Home Rule Act, Initiative 71 has to go through a 60-day Congressional review period—wherein the House, Senate, and President can stop it from becoming law, if they all agree to.

So, it will become legal in 60 days if Congress and the President don’t stop it?

In theory, yes. But that’s highly unlikely to happen. Last fall, Councilmember David Grosso (I-At Large) introduced legislation to not only legalize marijuana but to tax and regulate it, in a similar manner that alcohol and tobacco is taxed and regulated. Mayor-elect Muriel Bowser and the D.C. Council have said that they’re most likely going to delay Initiative 71 in order to properly hash out (no pun intended) a proper tax and regulate bill so that Congress doesn’t try and burn (pun kind of intended) out the overwhelming support for marijuana legalization in D.C.

Well, that doesn’t sound so complicated.

No, it is. That’s just what’s going on right now. There’s a number of scenarios that could play out.

What are they?

Just read this.

Wait, I’ve read a lot of Republicans are going to try and block marijuana legalization in D.C. Should I be worried?

That’s a tough question to answer. When D.C. voters similarly voted to legalize medical marijuana in 1998, House Republicans delayed it from going into effect for 12 years by continually adding amendments from defunding it. Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) tried to do a similar thing with D.C.’s marijuana decriminalization law over the summer, but it ultimately failed, which is a good sign. Plus, all D.C. Councilmembers, D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, and Mayor-elect Bowser support legalization, or, at the very least the will of the voters, so that’s good.

So, like, when will pot be legal in D.C.?I be legally allowed to buy pot

Our guess? Sometime in 2016. Grosso agreed when we talked to him about it last month. But, as Washington City Paper’s Perry Stein pointed out on Twitter, Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said he’ll submit Initiative 71 to Congress in January. So you may be able to legally possess marijuana earlier than 2016.

You’re seriously harshing my mellow, man.

Sorry?