PROHIBITION ENDS IN COLORADO!: Recreational Weed Sales Brisk in Denver
Source: SFGate
The home of America’s first pot arrest is also the home of its first licensed recreational sales, as dozens of medical and recreational fans of cannabis who wanted to be part of history lined up in the freezing Denver dawn this morning to purchase the first legal bags of pot sold in America since before 1937.
“I’m really excited. It’s awesome, this is a major moment in American history,” said 34 year-old Adam Hartle of Jacksonville, FL., who was first in line at 3-D Cannabis in Denver.
The New Year marks the beginning of state-regulated sales of marijuana to any adult over 21 with proof of age, the latest development since Colorado voters legalized cannabis in November 2012. Some $600 million in retail pot sales are expected in the first year, with $67 million in taxes flowing to Colorado schools and public health.
Clad in beanies, hoodies, coats, jeans and gloves, customer began signing up in line at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 31 at 3-D Cannabis Center. The former medical marijuana dispensary is one of 18 Denver businesses officially cleared to open by Jan. 1. Doors opened at 8 a.m. with limits of two eighth-ounces per visit, each of which retails for $35-$50 plus 21.22% tax.
The first sale at 3-D Cannabis went to Sean Azzariti, a Denver-based Iraq war veteran treating post-traumatic disorder (PTSD). Azzariti said full legalization benefits those suffering from PTSD — a condition not covered under Colorado’s medical marijuana law despite repeated efforts to add it.
Read more: http://blog.sfgate.com/smellthetruth/2014/01/01/prohibition-ends-in-colorado-recreational-weed-sales-brisk-in-denver/
POT FACTS
Samuel R. Caldwell is reportedly the first American ever arrested in the war on pot on Oct. 2, 1937. He was arrested in Denver, Colorado and served three years hard labor.
26 million people are estimated to have been arrested for pot since then.
In 2012, 5.4 million persons aged 12 or older used marijuana on a daily or almost daily basis in the past 12 months (i.e., on 300 or more days in that period), which was an increase from the 3.1 million daily or almost daily marijuana users in 2006 (Figure 2.15). – NSDUH
Roughly 75 percent of teens report marijuana is easy to get and that has been true in the US for several decades.
750,000 people are arrested for marijuana each year.
One day we'll live free and no longer in fear. Fear of losing jobs, fear of being raided, your dogs shot, your children kidnapped by the state. Your land stolen, and maybe even your life lost. Fear no more, the times are a changing.
= new reply since forum marked as read
some people think that the reason Colorado was the first to legalize and openly sell is because it's a swing state.
Republicans and Democrats there are often on the same page about this issue because of the number of more libertarian-inclined conservatives (as opposed to social conservatives, tho you have those, too, but libertarians have a stronger voice than in the south or much of the midwest.)
Politicians have to take care not to siphon votes for the other side, or for independents, by alienating this voting bloc of liberals and libertarians - and such voting blocs are more common in the west than any other part of the nation.
In strongly liberal/labor states, the politicians may not want to bring up this issue because they want to appeal to the social conservatives and don't want to put off parents who are scared of the idea of adults having legal access because of their teens. And of course, in the south, we have strongly conservative religious groups who see this as a "sin" issue, tho even among people in that group, some are coming around to the view that cannabis is an herb, not a manufactured drug.
Anyway, California and Alaska will probably be next up as legalization states.
You are the first in the WORLD that freed the Cannabis because prohibition was not working at all anyway. Plus the $70 million or so to gain in taxable revenue from Cannabis sells sure will help the States' budget. SMART!!!
