WASHINGTON – A top official at the Drug Enforcement Administration said legalizing marijuana, a drug that a majority of Americans are now in favor of decriminalizing, is “reckless and irresponsible.”

James L. Capra, the chief of operations at the DEA, was responding to a question from a senator Wednesday, Jan. 15, when he admitted authorities are nervous about the prospect of legalization measures, which are becoming more popular throughout the U.S. after decriminalization initiatives passed in the states of Colorado and Washington.

“I have to say this…going down the path to legalization in this country is reckless and irresponsible,” he said. “I’m talking about the long term impact of legalization in the United States. It scares us.”

Cannabis remains illegal under federal law, which trumps conflicting state law. But President Obama has said his administration will not enforce federal marijuana restrictions in states where it has been decriminalized.

Were that not the case, the DEA would be responsible for cracking down on pot shops. The agency, in fact, has sustained heavy criticism because it continues to harass grow operations in California, Montana, and elsewhere where the drug is now legal for medicinal purposes.

Sales in Colorado began on January 1 and will begin in Washington within the coming months.

An October Gallup poll found that more Americans than ever admitted they are in favor of legalizing marijuana. The number, which stands at 58 percent, has slowly increased in the decades since Gallup first asked the question in 1969, when a mere 12 percent were in favor of legalization.