The Move to Legalization

Two and a half years after writing my last entry I find myself living in the legal cannabis capital of the world Denver, Colorado. Since 2012, Amendment 64 has been enacted which legalized the personal use and regulation of marijuana throughout the state of Colorado with a number of necessary restrictions that has made the sale and possession of this harmless plant safer for everyone involved whether you "smoke pot" or not. According to Waking Times "7 Ways Cannabis Legalization Has Already Benefited Colorado" the numbers speak for themselves and show unexpected ways in which a legal system of taxing and regulating marijuana like alcohol truly benefits everyone.

1. According to Uniform Crime Reporting data for Denver, there has been a 10.1% decrease in overall crime from this time last year and a 5.2% drop in violent crime.
2. The state has garnered over 10 million in taxes from retail sales in the first 4 months. The first 40 million of this tax revenue is earmarked for public schools and infrastructure, as well as for youth educational campaigns about substance use.
3. There are renewed efforts to study the medical efficacy of marijuana within the state, making Colorado an epicenter for marijuana research. Cannabis legalization has already yielded some positive stats for Colorado. People in power are realizing there is money to be made. Will Colorado be the guinea pig for the rest of the world to follow suit?
4. The marijuana industry has developed quickly, generating thousands of new jobs. It is estimated there are currently about 10,000 people directly involved with this industry, with 1,000 to 2,000 gaining employment in the past few months alone.
5. Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, who opposed Amendment 64, recently compared Colorado’s economy since legalization to that of other states by noting, “While the rest of the country’s economy is slowly picking back up, we’re thriving here in Colorado.” For example, the demand for commercial real estate has increased drastically, with houses in the state appreciating up to 8.7 percent in the past year alone.
6. The voters of Colorado retain an overall positive view of the regulated marijuana market, with 54% of Colorado voters still supporting marijuana legalization and regulation, according to a recent Quinnipiac poll.
7. By removing criminal penalties for certain marijuana-related offenses, thousands of individuals will avoid the collateral consequences associated with a criminal record. The state is estimated to potentially save $12-40 million over the span of a year simply by ending arrests for marijuana possession.

As for me, personally, moving to a state that tolerates cannabis use has produced some unexpected changes in my own life. When I lived in Idaho I often felt like there was something wrong with me as a person, that I needed to change, and stop using this "drug" that could ruin my life. A possession ticket for marijuana in Idaho would have destroyed my business, stopped the government financial aid that helped fund my education and my dream of being the first person in my family to graduate from college, without mentioning the loss of self worth. I did everything possible to stay "out of trouble" so that I could move to Colorado when I graduated and never have to worry about how marijuana could destroy my future again.

I wasted no time and moved to Denver two weeks after graduating for a fresh start and the opportunity to pursue creative projects in and outside of the cannabis industry. I know now that I have nothing to be ashamed of and that in a legal system the need to label disappears. I see the opportunities that a legal system can bring for all types of people from artists to writers and even scientists. Colorado is succeeding in bringing cannabis use into the light and a legal, taxed, regulated market is when it needs to remain. Let's not let the manipulated history of cannabis impact our judgment today. States like Colorado, Washington, Oregon, and Alaska are ringing in a new era and its up to all of us to make sure the cannabis lies stop.