Wow, while we Midwesterners were busy watching hotly contested state and federal political races, voters out west approved a state measure that could impact the whole country.

Colorado and Washington became the first states to legalize recreational marijuana in the prohibition-era on Tuesday, according to an article in the Huffington Post.

The measure, which will allow adults to possess a small amount of marijuana for recreational use, could deliver a major blow to the war on drugs, the story said.

Medical marijuana was also legalized in Massachusetts, the article said.

With two states legalizing medical and recreational use of the drug, more states could follow the trend in the future, political analysts said.