Pot tax collections booming in Colorado

Associated Press ^ | Jun 9, 2014 7:18 PM EDT | Kristen Wyatt

[Olog-hai]

Colorado’s marijuana market boomed in April as tens of thousands celebrated the once-underground 4/20 pot holiday. […]

An estimate from the Colorado Department of Revenue showed that Colorado made about $5.3 million from medical and recreational pot taxes and fees in April. That’s up from about $5 million in March.

Colorado made no estimate of 4/20 visitors. But pot shops in Denver had long lines the whole weekend, and at least 30,000 flocked to a city park to mark the marijuana celebration. …

[Linda Frances]

Many of the cities in Colorado do not sell pot, like Colorado Springs because of large military presence.

We were in Colorado a few days ago and got to see what happens when potheads feel free to be stoned in the great outdoors. In Manitou Springs we watched a guys surfing on a curb stop while dancing. He wiped out.

[shotgun]

Next thing you know is they will devise a scheme where the public can buy a ticket with a series of random numbers for a chance to win millions of dollars so they can escape the hell holes they live in. Of course they’ll set the odds astronomically high and the give you the option of taking a lump sum payout that’s less than half of the pot or give you a check every year for 30 years. Plus they will tell you the money goes to pay for the chitlins be schools. They’ll call this a lottery...

[oldtech]

What about Colorado’s responsibilities to neighboring states where law enforcement problems are multiplying because of Colorado’s legal marijuana?

[wardaddy]

You’re blaming pot for issues in your family that were not caused by pot but by something completely different from pot that was intended to get one high but which is extremely toxic

That’s like blaming alcohol for someone drinking Sterno who hoped it would feel like a nice pinot..

BTW...I never said pot was always harmless but it sure never once made me vomit

And we had hashish and skunk sensebud and hash oil in late 70s.....which rivaled average pot today which is mid teens THC %...yes some exotics hit mid 20s...trash weed was done by 1976 in the deep south

Its like comparing beer to whiskey..in fact the difference is far greater in those libations....drink less or smoke less

Gateway?

Gateway is booze and nicotine as much as pot...more so in my view and the national cost and damage much higher so why not the same zeal to ban those?

I’m sure we can find things harmful about pot abuse....I can name some off my head I’ve observed in some folks....apathy...procrastinate...lowered cognitive skills when high....lower sex drive in men......oppositional personality....laziness....

Now compare that to any other drug legal or not and pot is dead last in harmfulness in my experience of smoking and observing it

And conservatives here picking a fight with at least one third of their own kind is foolish

As for me...my only addiction is a good woman’s affection

But I detest loudmouth irrational belligerent drunks fools far more than goofy blase stoners

But yet like I said getting a buzz on from drinking is celebrated here

I do drink folded southern egg not and Cointreau

Maybe some red wine...I let Wifey do the drinking

I’m always the DD in any outing here

But I’d smoke pot today privately with her if she wanted to

[wardaddy]

BTW...fwiw

I consider the medical marijuana schemes as practiced in some states an exploited farce....folks getting rich

A few states tightly control dispensation and I don’t include them

[ConservingFreedom]

What about Wisconsin’s responsibilities to neighboring states where law enforcement problems arise because of Wisconsin’s legal fireworks?

[Mom MD]

Dude. And I do mean dude. Smoke anything you want and talk yourself into not feeling guilty any way you want. I take exception to your saying there are no negative health consequences to mj, I’ve seen them and know a fair amount about the human body. Defend your behavior anyway you want, I dont care. But sell your argument somewhere else, I aint buying.

[wardaddy]

I don’t need your approval hon.....my wife’s at this stage are all I ask for but I made it rather clear I haven’t smoked it in 30 years ...lol...but I might after reading all the crazy stuff I read here

And nowhere did I say there were no negative health concerns but after 40 years of at least 30-40 million Americans smoking it regularly the health concerns pale in comparison to any other drug folks use to intoxicate themselves

Particularly drinking when one drinks to effect.

Conservatism is about empiricism and the Constitution and a level of morality

The hysterics here are about the perception of who smokes pot rather than the drug since the loudest barkers...not you admittedly ....have never used it

I have yet to see a pot smoker here past or present rail on with this reefer madness line of reasoning

Have you smoked it?

When you have and know what you are talking about beyond anecdotal observation then get back to me

I rest my case.

[ConservingFreedom]

And nowhere did I say there were no negative health concerns

In fact, you listed a number of negative consequences in pot #44 - but apparently Drug Warriors would rather debate the voices in their heads.

[wardaddy]

I don’t get the zealous hatred of the evil weed here

Odd

To me anyhow

[ConservingFreedom]

It boils down to this: