U.S. and Colorado legalized recreational use of pot but it 's illegal under federal law . Mark Osler : What makes this development fascinating is that it brings into conflict two important strains of political thought in America : federalism and moralism . tens of thousands ideologies clash over whether U.S. should override new state laws . Osler : Federalists say state laws must rule ; moralists say we need national drug laws . Washington must honor states , he says ; federalism is in the Constitution , pot opposition is not .
U.S. and Colorado legalized recreational use of pot but it 's illegal under federal law . Mark Osler : tens of thousands ideologies clash over whether U.S. should override new state laws . Osler : Federalists say state laws must rule ; moralists say we need national drug laws . Washington must honor states , he says ; federalism is in the Constitution , pot opposition is not .