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It's now been six months since Colorado enacted its historic marijuana legalization policy, and two big things have already happened:
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Colorado's cash crop is turning out to be even more profitable than the state could have hoped.
Tax revenue from marijuana sales is expected to top $130M over the next fiscal year.
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Denver crime rates have suddenly fallen.
The Denver city- and county-wide murder rate has dropped 52.9% year-to-year since recreational marijuana use was legalized in January.
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Six Months After Legalizing Marijuana, Two Big Things have Happened in Colorado
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QOTD:
"I thought I saw a unicorn on the way over, but it was just a
horse with one of the horns broken off."
(Score: 2) by frojack on Friday July 04 2014, @05:11AM
Washington got started about 6 or 8 months behind Colorado.
In Washington, all the tax revenue goes to the state, and none to the local community, which has to go to the legislature with their hands out to get any of those tax benefits.
So some communities are refusing to specify sales zones until the state starts sharing some of the revenue.
And there are as yet only a few approved suppliers/a? for a system that is supposed to go live this Month (july). There are still a lot of people spinning horror stories about pot. Especially if there is even a hint of pot in any car involved in an accident. [seattlepi.com]
The state is setting up expedited processing of blood samples (due to the quickness with which it clears the blood system, even though there is no legal standards for impairment.
So you have half the state bureaucracy trying to carry out the voters mandate, and the other half of the state tossing grenades in the gears, and spinning horror stories.
What I'd like to know from Colorado, is what effect has legalization had on traffic accidents, or DUI convictions.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 4, Funny) by EvilJim on Friday July 04 2014, @06:00AM
It takes a lot of effort to crash at only 10kph :) some stoners cant be arsed with anything that requires effort haha.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by hoochiecoochieman on Friday July 04 2014, @10:38AM
DUI wasn't legalised. If people were illegally driving stoned, they are still illegally driving stoned. What's the difference?
(Score: 1) by GeminiDomino on Friday July 04 2014, @03:32PM
When pot was illegal, the presence of any amount was considered evidence of wrongdoing. Now that it's not, the law needs to be brought up to date, so that the pot equivalent of .001 BAC is not considered "illegally driving stoned."
"We've been attacked by the intelligent, educated segment of our culture"
(Score: 2) by frojack on Friday July 04 2014, @08:30PM
Exactly.
And further, there are no studies that indicate when (at what level of detect-ability) impairment starts to become a problem. I suspect police will lobby strongly to maintain the zero tolerance level for driving.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2) by EvilJim on Wednesday July 09 2014, @12:49AM
Over here the cops do a coordination test if they suspect you've been smoking by eye appearance/smell which is odd because they don't do that for alcohol, the machine does all the work there. we now have a bunch of people with parkinson's and cerebral palsy no longer allowed to drive.
(Score: 1) by cykros on Friday July 04 2014, @09:08PM
The quickness with which it clears the blood system? Err...I suggest you go check your facts on that one. THC is lipid, not water, soluble, and as such tends to stick around for upwards of 30 days or more, unlike the majority of recreational drugs which clear the system in 1-3 days. It's one of the ironies of pre-employment drug screening; it catches the guy who smoked a joint a few weeks ago, but lets in the one who smoked crack 4 days ago.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Friday July 04 2014, @09:55PM
Here: You check for yourself. I only post what I can find links to back up what I wrote:
http://www.king5.com/news/marijuana/New-electronic-blood-warrant-database-for-marijuana-DUIs-265473021.html [king5.com]
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 1) by cykros on Saturday July 05 2014, @02:35PM
You're right, my mistake. Urinalysis can detect THC for up to 30 days, but it appears blood tests can't. News to me.