The Colorado Case Study

On the 10th of December 2012, growing, selling and enjoying marijuana for recreational purposes became officially legal in Colorado. Two years after, it is now possible to look back and analyze the consequences of that historical event.

Let’s start by saying that, contrarily to what the many conservative prophets of doom predicted, society didn’t change and Colorado didn’t turn into a dangerous, amoral hell mouth-style inferno. Over the last two years, the rate of traffic accidents has remained unchanged in Colorado, just like the number of young and very young consumers of marijuana. Actually, if truth be told, when you look at the data of the latest study conducted just before cannabis was legalized, the number of youngsters that smoke marijuana in Colorado is actually decreased by 2% in 2013 and 2014.

In addition, State revenues arising from the sale of marijuana have been increasing steadily. This is money that has quite literally been stolen from the pockets of lobbyists and criminal organizations to become subject to taxation, and it is now an important source that can be used to fuel social and material improvements at many levels. By the way, when you look at Colorado, the sum is actually very impressive: 59 million of dollars! With that kind of money, a State can help the elderly, eliminate barriers for the disabled, study plans to aid to the poor, improve both health infrastructures and educational institutions, and much more.

That’s how you truly make the difference.

In Colorado, many new jobs have also been created in the last two years. And I am talking about well-paid, regulated jobs: another wonderful gift coming from the field of legalized marijuana. And, of course, more jobs translates into higher income per capita and well-being for the citizens of the State, which also means greater capacity for consumption and a significant increase in the number of transactions.

The Governor of Colorado, John Hickenlooper, who was initially against the legalization of cannabis, has publicly recognized the fact that this change has brought an unimaginable number of benefits and, so far, none of the risks or bad consequences many feared.

It’s official: the bugbears agitated by the conservative critics have turned out to be simple biased assumptions.

What’s happening in Colorado is an example of the beautiful things legalized cannabis can do for a State, and for its population. As we all wait for the world to wake up and follow the example, let’s enjoy some of the best marijuana on Earth. Here it is: http://greenhouseseeds.nl.