Pubdate: Wed, 01 Jan 2014
Source: Boston Herald (MA)
Copyright: 2014 The Boston Herald, Inc
Contact:  http://news.bostonherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/53
Note: Prints only very short LTEs.
Author: Linda Chavez, Linda Chavez is a syndicated columnist

DANGERS OF ROCKY MOUNTAIN 'HIGH'

As recreational pot use becomes legal in Colorado today, those of us 
who live in Boulder are wondering what will change. Marijuana use is 
already ubiquitous. Open up the free newspapers on campus at the 
University of Colorado, and ads for "medical" marijuana fill the 
pages. Funny how a "medicine" whose primary benefits are restricted 
to glaucoma, chemotherapy-induced nausea and peripheral neuropathy - 
conditions far more likely to afflict the elderly - is being marketed 
to college kids. But today pot entrepreneurs will be able to push 
Purple Haze, Blue Rhino and Sour Diesel without the fig leaf.

The state has issued 136 licenses for recreational pot retailers, 
mostly in Denver. Although voters passed Amendment 64, making private 
recreational use of marijuana legal in the state, pot dealers still 
face some obstacles to plying their trade. Federal law makes the sale 
of marijuana a crime, despite Attorney General Eric Holder's 
assurance in August that he's not much interested in prosecuting 
marijuana cases.

In November, federal drug enforcement authorities raided several 
Denver dispensaries and growing facilities with suspected ties to 
foreign drug cartels. It turns out the establishments that were 
raided weren't just growing and selling marijuana; they also were 
stockpiling weapons and trading harder drugs. And banks, which are 
regulated by the feds, won't set up accounts for businesses that are 
still considered criminal enterprises by federal statute. What's 
more, several political jurisdictions in the state have banned 
recreational pot stores within their boundaries.

Even before marijuana became legal, the effects of the drug were 
apparent in everyday life in the city I now call home. The work ethic 
in Boulder already leaves something to be desired. I imagine it only 
will get worse once pot is legal.

The real damage will be to Colorado's youth. Young brains are 
especially vulnerable to marijuana use, with studies showing that 
becoming drug-dependent is far more likely among people who start 
using marijuana in their teens. Drug-related school suspensions are a 
major problem in Colorado - with more than 5,000 occurring in the 
last year for which there are records.

Colorado is already the butt of many a Rocky Mountain high joke, but 
the issue is a serious one. Marijuana legalization is likely to make 
Colorado a less desirable place to live, work, study and raise a 
family. But by the time Colorado voters figure that out, the damage 
already will have been done.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom