Washington, February 26 (RHC)-- Marijuana has become legal in the U.S. capital. Beginning today, adults over 21 can possess up to two ounces of pot in Washington, D.C.

Mayor Muriel Bowser vowed to press ahead with legalization, despite opposition from Republicans in Congress, who even threatened to throw her in jail.

The U.S. Congress has oversight of laws in D.C., and Republicans tucked a measure into a spending bill to block new laws easing marijuana rules in the district. But Bowser says the restriction is invalid, because it passed a month after pot legalization was approved by 70 percent of D.C. Voters. Washington D.C. joins three states –- Washington, Colorado and Alaska -- where pot is now legal.

Meanwhile, House lawmakers in Georgia have overwhelmingly passed a bill to legalize cannabis oil for patients with seizure disorders and other conditions. This comes as new research in the journal Scientific Reports has found marijuana is about 114 times less deadly than alcohol. The study found alcohol is by far the riskiest drug, followed by heroin, cocaine and tobacco.