Although recreational marijuana became legal in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, the fight over the new local marijuana law is far from over.

According to city officials, the local government has the authority to enact the pot law. However, the U.S. Constitution gives Congress final say over city laws, USA Today reports.

Earlier this week, House Republicans threatened to take legal action against Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser for implementing the law, arguing that the measure violates federal restrictions against marijuana.

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz told Bowser that if she moved forward with her plan to implement marijuana legalization she would face "very serious consequences," The Washington Post reported.

"You can go to prison for this. We're not playing a little game here," added the Republican Utah representative.

Nevertheless, Mayor Bowser seemed unphased by the pushback and announced her plans to enforce the law, starting at 12:01 a.m. Thursday.

"We would encourage the Congress to not be so concerned with overturning what 7-in-10 voters said should be the law in the District of Columbia," Bowser said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon, reports CNN.

She also dismissed the threat of being jailed.

"A lot of reasonable people have a different view of this issue,' Bowser explained. "I have a lot of things to do here in the District of Columbia, and me being in jail wouldn't be a good thing."

Last November, two-thirds of D.C. voters approved Initiative 71, which allows Washington residents to possess up to two ounces of pot, reports USA Today. The measure, which applies only to adults over 21, also allows residents to grow up to six pot plants in their own yards and smoke weed in the privacy of their own homes. Smoking in public places and buying and selling pot remain illegal, but people can transfer one ounce of pot to another person, as long as it is not being exchanged for money, goods or services

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