Smoking marijuana became legal in Oregon on Wednesday, making the state involved in, as Reuters called, the "growing legalization movement spreading down the United States' West Coast."

Residents ages 21 and older may smoke the drug privately and grow up to four marijuana plants at a time. Oregonians are allowed to possess up to eight ounces of the substance at home and may carry up to one ounce with them, the state's Liquor Control Commission detailed.

Oregon joins Colorado, Washington State, Alaska and the District of Columbia, as already legalizing marijuana possession through voter initiatives since 2012. However, the 8-ounce limit is much higher than what is permitted in other jurisdictions, which limit possession to one or two ounces, respectively, Vox detailed.

Smoking pot in public remains illegal in Oregon, as does driving while high on the drug. Marijuana may not be transported out of state, either -- a limitation that includes neighboring Washington, where retailing started last year, according to Liquor Control Commission.

Democratic Rep. Earl Blumenauer, who supported the "Yes on 91" campaign that preceded the legalization, stated that the previous prohibition did not deter children and teenagers from trying and using marijuana but rather turned its commercialization into a monopoly of violent drug cartels.

"Marijuana is a big business right now. It's a multibillion-dollar, huge business in the United States," Blumenauer told Vox before the changes took effect. "The problem is it's illegal, so it's not regulated, it's not taxed, and there aren't consumer protections."

Although pot consumption is now legal in Oregon, residents still cannot purchase the drug unless they have access to state-regulated dispensaries as medical marijuana patients, the Oregonian noted. Those dispensaries are counting on a bill permitting all marijuana sales, which is currently making its way through the state legislature, but the Liquor Control Commission is not expected to launch the recreational industry until late 2016.