Colorado-Medical-Marijuana-Blog

The University of Colorado in Boulder has long been the site of one of the largest Colorado Marijuana rallies the state has known, but this year officials at the school are making plans to put a lid on the activities. The passing of Amendment 64 legalizing marijuana in Colorado has added fuel to a fire that officials have been battling for many years and the they fear the disruption to the school will be increasingly worse as time goes on. CU officials feel that the 4/20 smokeout sends a very bad message to young potential students that CU is not a place of research and learning, but a place to have unlimited access to drugs. Officials do not want the image of the school to be one that condones drug use. Instead, they would like for students researching colleges to consider CU as a place of good value, strong academics and a home to Nobel-prize winning scientists. Last year’s smokeout brought roughly 12,000 people, which created an enormous disruption to campus procedures. With this in mind, CU is planning to once again close the campus to visitors as well as shut down the Norlin quad, which is where the rally is normally staged.

During President Obama’s recent visit to Colorado, medical marijuana advocates turned out to voice their concerns regarding the federal government’s recent activities in shutting down many of Colorado’s medical marijuana businesses in Boulder, Colorado. The businesses were warned by U.S. Attorney John Walsh that they were within the 1,000 foot limit of schools and were ordered to move or be shut down. Many of the businesses shut down after the warning and supporters of medical marijuana in Colorado believe this effort by the government has had a detrimental effect on Colorado’s economy, potentially costing the state over1,000 jobs just as the state is struggling to recover from a recession. Advocates for medical marijuana in Colorado are asking the President to commit to protecting these jobs just as he would protect the jobs of any other industry, citing that medical marijuana is a legitimate business and should receive the same treatment as other businesses in the state.

In a recent Denver police analysis completed late 2010 of the areas around marijuana dispensaries showed that the number of crimes in those neighborhoods dropped in the first nine months of 2010 compared with the same time period in 2009.  Similarly, a Denver Post analysis of crimes committed in the first 11 months of 2010 found that some Denver neighborhoods with the highest concentrations of dispensaries per capita saw bigger decreases in crime than areas with no dispensaries.

Even with this statistical data backing up claims that medical marijuana is not creating more crime, police are still not convinced.  “Across the state, we’re seeing an increase in crime related to dispensaries,” says Ernie Martinez, a Denver police detective who is president of the Colorado Drug Investigators Association.  Although the studies around medical marijuana dispensaries are not attempting to make claims that their presence is making neighborhoods safer, the decrease in crimes is difficult to attribute to any underlying factors.

In an attempt to rationalize with the police detective who may have access to more real life experiences than empirical data, there have been some documented crimes involving medical marijuana. Most notably, two robbers locked themselves in a dispensary while attempting to raid its contents.  Other similar robberies have taken place across the state, as have beatings, shootings, and suspected murders.  “[Marijuana dispensaries] are not taking away the underground empire of criminality,” Detective Martinez said of medical marijuana’s legitimization.

In another account solidifying the claim that there is not enough evidence to prove dispensaries can be associated with crime, a police representative explains the rational. Sgt. Steve Noblitt, a Colorado Springs police spokesman, said comparing pre- and post-dispensary crime is complicated.  Given the youth most of the dispensaries are accustomed, it is difficult to compare previous crime rates to current in an effort to find some sort of accurate correlation.  “We haven’t done an analysis because we don’t know what to compare it to.” This testimonial best sums up the claims on both sides of the argument that any suggestion as to whether or not these dispensaries are creating crime is evident.  Therefore this evidence or lack thereof suggests that further studies must be conducted and these dispensaries are to continue to be legal parts of communities until proven to be crime contributors.

Currently, much of the debate surrounding medicinal marijuana in Colorado pertains to the questionable motive of the industry; is it really about medical purposes or is it about pure legalization? Recent occurrences such as the 420 rally in Boulder and The Denver Cannabis Cup have created a larger rift among an already polarized public. Many skeptics view such rallies as an excuse for “non medical users” to take advantage of the current legal atmosphere and use it as an excuse to get high and blow smoke in the face of the public. According to many marijuana message boards and blog sites, this perception is shared among opponents and advocates alike; a sure sign that blatant celebration may not work in favor of legal cannabis in Colorado. Soon, card holders are planning an invite only bong-a-thon smoking completion. As entertaining as this may sound, it is certainly raising eyebrows around the industry. A gluttony competition seems a little flamboyant and certainly raises questions about the motives of the industry as a whole. Truth be told, legalization might very well be the best scenario for cannabis as it could help the economy, create jobs, create tax revenue, et cetera. Organizing gluttony events and arrogantly showcasing marijuana to the public could be counterproductive as legalization will require an accepting voting population.    

In Colorado, medical marijuana is just beginning to see a small amount of growth. In California, this growth has already gotten out of control. In 2003, only a handful of dispensaries existed, but thanks to a legal loophole known as a hardship exemption, that number jumped to 183 by 2007. This loophole has allowed dispensaries to open with hardly any paperwork or permits. According to officials, nearly 600 California dispensaries took advantage of the loophole. In order for Colorado to keep from following in California’s footsteps, action will have to be taken to ensure that such loopholes do not exist under Colorado state law. Some shop owners in California have learned how to manipulate the loophole to well that they have been able to make setting up medical marijuana dispensaries almost a turn-key business. For lawmakers, stricter regulations will be essential to ensure that stores cannot simply open anywhere, especially near schools. Strict regulations are imperative in keeping medical marijuana purely for medical use.

A crowd of approximately 10,000 people gathered recently at the University of Colorado to celebrate the use of both Boulder medical marijuana and the overall use of marijuana. As more states are beginning to legalize medical marijuana, Colorado and other states are beginning to see more and more rallies to support overall legalization of the drug.

The Boulder rally, knows as International Cannabis Day, was also celebrated in Civic Center Park in Denver with approximately 3,000 people gathering together to show support. Police were stationed at the events to ensure public safety, but no arrests were made. The holiday has gained attention over the last several years as issues of medical marijuana use have been put more and more in the spotlight.