Pubdate: Fri, 07 Feb 2014
Source: Pueblo Chieftain (CO)
Copyright: 2014 The Pueblo Chieftain
Contact:  http://www.chieftain.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1613
Author: Peter Roper

LEGAL POT SALES NOT A PROBLEM

The legal sale of recreational marijuana since Jan. 1 hasn't caused a
significant problem for Pueblo County and city law
enforcement.

That's not the case for heroin.

While Colorado has been in the national spotlight since legalizing
recreational marijuana, police Chief Luis Velez said this week there
was little change in the marijuana-related crime statistics between
January 2011, 2012 and last month.

City police logged one marijuana-related arrest last month and 15
citations for minor violations. In January 2012, the city logged one
arrest and 22 citations.

"There really hasn't been any bigger problem since recreational sales
started January 1," Velez said Wednesday.

Sheriff Kirk Taylor said his department has been busier assisting
state inspectors at the two legal stores in the county, but the
expected problems - such as people smoking pot in public - haven't
materialized.

"We did bust a guy last week for trying to bring marijuana down from
Colorado Springs to sell the retail outlets," he said. "I'm sure there
are going to be hidden costs to this we aren't measuring yet."

Velez, like Taylor, is opposed to legalizing marijuana and he noted
that recreational sales only have been legal for a month.

"For me the unanswered questions are whether we're going to see more
young people using marijuana because it's now legalized and whether it
triggers more substance abuse in general," Velez said.

Last weekend's heroin overdose death of actor Philip Seymour Hoffman
underlines a growing resurgence in heroin - despite its lethal
reputation - that is being felt in Southern Colorado, too.

Pueblo police have made several sizable heroin arrests, confiscating
the drug, weapons, cash and arresting nearly a dozen suspects in the
past year.

There was a similar sting in Lamar last year.

"Heroin is being brought in by the (Mexican) drug cartels," Velez
said. "It's resurgence is apparently linked to the fact that it is
comparatively cheap."

Velez said the illegal sale of prescription pills have been a
widespread problem but heroin has replaced them.

"It can cost $30 or $40 a pill to buy some of these prescription
drugs, but heroin is much cheaper on the street," Velez said. 
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jo-D