Former Rep. Tom Tancredo loses bet, will smoke pot

Former Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) said Thursday he will uphold his end of a bet and smoke marijuana now that the drug has been legalized by a Colorado voting referendum.

The former congressman and anti-illegal immigration activist had told the maker of a documentary about the ballot initiative that he would smoke pot if the measure passed, despite not being a drug user. On Nov. 6, Colorado voters approved marijuana for recreational use 55 percent to 45 percent.

"Look, I made a bet with the producer of the film that if Amendment 64 passed (I did not think it would) that I would smoke pot," Tancredo said in a statement to Fox News. "I will therefore smoke pot under circumstances we both agree are legal under Colorado law. Hey, it's better than having to do a stupid dance as (Denver) Mayor (Michael) Hancock must perform as a result of losing a bet on the Broncos beating the Ravens."

Despite the bet, Tancredo said he was a supporter of the referendum, believing that government enforcement of anti-marijuana laws was "wasteful and ineffective."

“I am endorsing Amendment 64 not despite my conservative beliefs, but because of them,” he wrote in an op-ed before the vote. “Our nation is spending tens of billions of dollars annually in an attempt to prohibit adults from using a substance objectively less harmful than alcohol.”

Washington state also voted in last year's election to legalize small amounts of marijuana for personal use. On Tuesday, Attorney General Eric Holder met with Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) to discuss how the state could move forward with rules regulating the possession and sale of the drug, which remains illegal under federal law.

A poll released by ABC News and The Washington Post shortly after the election in November found a record 48 percent of Americans support legalizing small amounts of marijuana for personal use.

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