URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v16/n531/a10.html
Newshawk: http://www.drugsense.org/donate.htm
Votes: 0
Pubdate: Mon, 08 Aug 2016
Source: Albuquerque Journal (NM)
Copyright: 2016 Albuquerque Journal
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Website: http://www.abqjournal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/10
Author: Kathy Sullivan, Albuquerque Resident
NM SHOULD LEGALIZE REC USE OF POT
Colorado experience shows it’s a winner
Well, it’s been long enough since Colorado became one of the first two states to approve recreational marijuana legalization in November 2012. The rumor was that New Mexico was taking a wait and see stance before embarking on it’s own legalization.
But now the stats are everywhere: Colorado is ranked as one of the fastest growing economies in our nation.
The unemployment rate is at its lowest since 2008, well below the national average. Incarceration rates have dropped through the floor.
Dispensaries are popping up everywhere, contributing to other businesses like security, marketing, web hosting, etc.,. This means that demand for commercial space is high and business is good. It also demonstrates that legalizing pot has had a ripple effect on Colorado’s businesses.
The good has outweighed the bad in spectacular ways in most all aspects of Colorado’s legalization.
In the beginning, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper was openly opposed to marijuana legalization, much like our New Mexico governor and legislature.
Hickenlooper’s change of heart is a result of the remarkable early success of legalized marijuana since weed dispensaries first opened in Colorado in January 2014. The state has not devolved into the lawless hellscape that some observers predicted.
Quite the opposite, in fact: Hickenlooper said the rate of marijuana usage has remained flat, arrests have gone down and Colorado is on pace to generate about $100 million dollars in tax revenue this fiscal year.
The number of citations and arrests for marijuana have also declined since legalization.
According to a study released by the Drug Policy Alliance in March, the number of marijuana-related charges declined 80 percent from 2010 to 2014. Hickenlooper suggested drug dealers seem to be leaving town.
“I think that was another worry, that there would be crime-ridden streets and everything would be incredibly dangerous,” Andrew Freedman, the director of the governor’s Office of Marijuana Coordination said. “We’re not seeing any of that. … What we have seen is it hasn’t been the catastrophe some people feared that it would be.”
As the state’s first “marijuana czar,” Freedman is responsible for managing Colorado’s marijuana tax revenue and helping to devise legislation to regulate the industry. He is also tasked with keeping close track of data related to legalized weed. Freedman cautions against drawing robust conclusions, but he noted a number of positive early signs.
For one, usage numbers have not climbed dramatically. According to data provided by Freedman’s office, approximately 10 percent of adults 26 and older reported smoking marijuana in 2013, prior to the beginning of recreational sales. That’s compared to 13.6 percent of adults who reported being regular users in 2014.
In 2013, 19.7 percent of high schoolers were regular users, a rate that was comparable to years before legalization.
“That shows we’re at the same place in terms of adult use post-legalization as we were pre-legalization,” Freedman said. “We are seeing that as a continual good sign from the market.” Freedman and other people deeply involved in the day-to-day oversight of the new market say it functions pretty smoothly. But they emphasize the broader question of whether or not legalization ends up a success will probably take five or 10 years to answer fully.
It’s no secret that New Mexico’s economy could use some help. Every day, I hear about the economic tsunami facing our state.
Come on New Mexico. We can’t wait five to 10 years to answer fully the marijuana question. Oil and gas sales are down but marijuana is a growing industry. It is pollution free, it is medicinal and has helped and eased people’s lives so much. It should be legalized now.
It is estimated that the average yearly trade in marijuana is $113 billion, a part of which Colorado is reaping greatly.
What are you waiting for New Mexico?
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom