Photo via Capital City Care

A pretty big moment today in the push for the legalization of marijuana as the U.S. Department of Justice announced in a press briefing that it not stop the states of Colorado and Washington from establishing “state-regulated systems of marijuana production and distribution.”

In a press release from the Marijuana Policy Project, director of federal policies Dan Riffle said that the announcement is a huge step forward for the legalization of marijuana across the country.

“Today’s announcement is a major and historic step toward ending marijuana prohibition. The Department of Justice’s decision to allow implementation of the laws in Colorado and Washington is a clear signal that states are free to determine their own policies with respect to marijuana.”

While this is big news for both Colorado and Washington, it also means that the Justice Department won’t challenge the 22 states, plus D.C., that have medical marijuana laws in place.

“We applaud the Department of Justice and other federal agencies for its thoughtful approach and sensible decision,” Riffle also said in the release. “It is time for the federal government to start working with state officials to develop enforcement policies that respect state voters, as well as federal interests.”

In D.C., where medical marijuana laws are still in their infancy and thus pretty tightly regulated, this is certainly good news for those who may be eligible for medical marijuana treatment in other states, but not in the city. Currently, medical marijuana is only available to District denizens diagnosed with HIV, AIDS, cancer, glaucoma, or severe muscle spasms, and that’s only after they can get a Department of Health form filled out by their doctor.

It’s also too soon to tell how this news will affect the recently introduced Marijuana Decriminalization Bill. The bill, which was introduced by Councilmember Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6) earlier this summer, “would reduce the maximum penalty for being caught with one ounce of marijuana from six months in prison and a $1,000 fine to $100 fine.” MPD Police Chief Cathy Lanier is wary of the bill, stating that the “argument for decriminalization is flawed.” However, eight other Councilmembers—Jim Graham (D-Ward 1), Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3), Kenyan McDuffie (D-Ward 5), Marion Barry (D-Ward 8), Anita Bonds (D-At Large), David Catania (I-At Large) and David Grosso (I-At Large)—have all added their names to the bill, which will be revisited in the Council’s fall session.

For Scott Morgan, owner of Capital City Care, one of D.C.’s first medical marijuana dispensaries, today is a good day. “This is exciting news for us and for our patients,” Morgan said in an email to DCist. “The memo calls for strong regulations at the local level, and that’s exactly what we’ve got here in the District.”

But there’s still a long road ahead for the decriminalization of marijuana in the District. “This puts the future of D.C.’s medical marijuana program in our own hands,” Morgan also said. “It gives us a chance to continue building on the progress we’ve made.”

And as for the national struggle to decriminalize pot, “the next step is for Congress to act,” Riffle said in the release. “We need to fix our nation’s broken marijuana laws and not just continue to work around them.”

In related news, Cheech and Chong’s Up In Smoke is now streaming on Netflix.