A year after marijuana legalisation in Colorado, 'everything's fine' confirm police

[AdamSmith]

A year after marijuana legalisation in Colorado, 'everything's fine' confirm police

independent.co.uk

It's been a year since Colorado became the first state in the US to legalise marijuana, and its impact on health, crime, employment and other factors can now be more empirically measured.

So, did it bring about an apocalypse leaving the streets strewn with out-of-work addicts as some Republicans feared?

"We found there hasn't been much of a change of anything," a Denver police officer told CBC this week.

"Basically, officers aren't seeing much of a change in how they do police work."

Not only has the legalisation of cannabis not come with a rise in crime, it has also created thousands of jobs, as tourists flock to the city's 60+ marijuana outlets.

A local newspaper even appointed its first cannabis critic in April.

"So the sky isn't falling?" a CBC reporter asked the officer. "The sky isn't falling," he replied.

Impaired driving, property crime and violent crime were all dropping in Denver prior to legalisation, and the trend has only continued. Even drug use among young people is down, the report claims.

The state has collected $60 million in tax revenue from sales of the drug meanwhile, $4 million of which has been plugged back into the city through new programmes brought in by its mayor (who remains anti-legalisation).

Colorado's unprecedented move led to Washington, Alaska and Oregon voting for legalisation, and this week a bill was filed to legalise it in New York.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/a-year-after-marijuana-legalisation-in-colorado-everythings-fine-confirm-police-9989723.html

[MsAnn]

"A year after Marijuana legalisation in Colorado, 'everything's fine' confirm police

"Nothing to see here people, everyone just move along"

[RA1]

I view some of this similar to the spread of gambling casinos. When only Las Vegas (and Nevada) had big ones, it was exotic to take a trip there. But, when first Atlantic City and then a real flood of them were legalized in several states, it did not take long for the "glamour" to wear off. Now, some are closing (or taking bankruptcy). When 15-20 states make marijuana legal, it will become just another over taxed, grind it out business.

If the take away is that mostly the users now are the ones who were using illegally before, I get that.

I am all for closely monitored medical use but I am not persuaded so far about casual use by everybody, other than in the privacy of your own home without endangering or annoying others. AKA personal freedom.

Best regards,

RA1

[lookin]

I am all for closely monitored medical use but I am not persuaded so far about casual use by everybody, other than in the privacy of your own home without endangering or annoying others.

Hive off the ability to annoy others and there goes half your market for recreational marijuana.

Or for recreational alcohol.

Or, for that matter, recreational anything else.

[RA1]

lookin-

You can annoy me anytime.

Best regards,

RA1