Voters in Washington and Colorado passed ballot initiatives to legalize the recreational use of marijuana and now those states may experience a surge of tourism because of it, new reports suggest.

Out-of-towners could flock to the marijuana-approved states looking for a pass to use the drug and take advantage of the new law allowing adults over 21 to buy, smoke and own small amounts of marijuana without the hassle of police intervention, according to MSN.

The new law, approved on Nov. 6, applies to state visitors as well. As long as out-of-state tourists purchase and use the drug while in Colorado or Washington, they would not violate the marijuana laws, according to The Associated Press. However, this is assuming that the recreational marijuana measures take effect without any lawsuits from the U.S. Department of Justice.

NBC noted that the new law legalizing the recreational use of marijuana could challenge some federal laws, especially since marijuana possession is still a federal crime. Supporters believe the new law will bring "new avenues of tax revenue" while opponents suggest that a rise in drug abuse and driving under the influence might occur.

Tourism is already the No. 2 industry in Colorado, thanks to their ski, snowboarding and other snow-sport attractions. A day after marijuana was legalized in the state by a wide margin, The Aspen Times headlined one article "Aspendam?" referring to Amsterdam's marijuana cafes.

The same story quoted Pitkin County Sheriff Joe DiSalvo who said, "For me, it's going to be live and let live. If people want to come to Colorado because pot is legal -- and that's the sole reason -- it's up to them. I am not the lifestyle police."

DiSalvo added that he does not think passage of the new law would negatively affect public safety in Colorado. The report added that as of Nov. 8, Amendment 64 must still be ratified by the governor of Colorado, which must happen within 30 days of the election. Additionally, under the new law public smoking of marijuana is still prohibited

Colorado and Washington are the first two states to legalize all uses of marijuana. The same was proposed in Oregon but did not receive enough votes to legalize it.