Several new laws have entered into force in a number of US states starting in the new year.
The laws relate to various issues such as the use of marijuana for recreational purposes, paid holidays, birth control pills and others.
The following are the most prominent of these laws:
- The sale of marijuana for recreational consumption has become legal in California, where adults over 21 can buy in the cities they have agreed to provide. The laws are strict, requiring shops selling marijuana to close their doors at 10 pm, as well as being subject to broader governmental scrutiny than the laws that allowed medical use of cannabis. The cities are so far San Francisco, Los Angeles, Berkeley and San Jose.
- Oregon on Monday banned the sale of cigarettes, including electronic mail, to those under the age of 21. Oregon becomes the fourth state to adopt such restrictions after California, Hawaii, New Jersey and Maine, which officially join the list in July.
- Tennessee criminalized the use of a mobile phone during driving near schools including talking in the phone and reading or sending text messages. Drivers under the age of 18 are prevented from using the phones entirely when traveling near schools even with Bluetooth.
- New York has begun a law that compels companies to give their employees a 12-week paid family vacation for reasons including "caring for a new baby, a relative with serious health problems, or helping to ease family stress when someone is called up for military service."
- Vermont prevented employers from asking for passwords and passwords for social networking accounts of their employees or job applicants.
- California has banned the delivery of mailed weapons and has limited its purchase to personal presence in licensed stores.
- The sale of shark fin soup in Las Vegas restaurants has been banned, with the crime of Nevada this year.
- Virginia has allowed women who want to buy a pill for a full year of supplies instead of just a few months.
- Tennessee allowed hairdressers to provide services in their clients' homes, even though it was limited to clients suffering from diseases.