The shot heard round the world. 5 years ago the hammer fell and cannabis was legalized for the first time in the Unites States of America. A new day dawned and everything changed. There was great skepticism and dread that society would collapse and our youth would turn into drug induced zombies. However, the Colorado Cannabis Legalization Five Years Later shows the exact opposite.

At the time Barrack Obama was running for President and needed Colorado’s vote. He got it. And everything changed. Citizens could freely consume cannabis. They could grow it, sell and it and of course, smoke all they want without fear of repression or prison. And let us not forget to mention money. Colorado was about to burst open bigger than the California Gold Rush of 1848. Of course, to this very day it is still a Federal Offence. But that has in not hindered our mile high friends. Colorado is thriving beyond everyone’s wildest expectations, and on multiple platforms.

The Long and Winding Road

The long road began decades before actual legalization. For nearly a century marijuana has been terribly vilified. This has been coupled by horrific political slander and outright lies to the public. Cannabis was wrongfully dubbed the “gateway drug.” We now know that not only is this untrue, it’s actually alcohol, which is completely legal, that is the true “gateway drug.” Do you know any alcoholics? Of course you do. Are they happy? No they’re not. Alcohol ruins lives and families and destroys the users health. However, there is big money to be made and therefore it is legal in every State of the Union.

It’s all about money people. Your government could care less about your health. You would have to be completely illiterate not to realize this. But, the tide is changing and we have Colorado to thank. And now, Five Years Later we have a plethora of data that not only is cannabis good for you and your physical and mental health, it’s also incredibly good for the economy.

The Good. Well, public health and well being are the obvious huge benefits. THC and CBD are saving lives by the millions. People can function. They can work. And ultimately, users can now have a meaningful life. Moreover, people are happy and at peace. The benefits of this are more far reaching than we can ascertain from statistics. Colorado has reaped multi-fold benefits. Number one, cannabis quality and control are in the hands of the State. This means public safety. Then there is the obvious medical access and the new ease with which users can get well. Most importantly, taxation. The State is generating millions of dollars for the State.

The Bad. 5 years ago 100% of cannabis revenue went directly into the hands of criminals. So, instead of funding education, roads and bridges all that money was supporting drug dealers and murderers. Then there is the whole legal and court system. Courtrooms were full of peaceful, law abiding pot smoking citizens. This cost the State millions. Now they can focus on more violent crimes. That alone is reason enough to legalize. Look at gang related violent crimes. The numbers are way down from 5 years ago. Colorado Cannabis Legalization Five Years Later shows a real move away from the bad and toward the communal good.

The Ugly. Crime is ugly. And it really doesn’t have to be. The Dark Web and Black Markets made up the other side of the negatives of illegalization. With competitive prices and government regulations these small time criminals have all but dried up. It’s also pretty ugly to allow patients to suffer. And really ugly and immoral to prescribe Oxycontin and other heroin based pain killers to the public. Millions of young people have died due this disgusting and “legal” murder for profit. Look at the groups who support illegalization. They are more often than not funded by big pharmacy groups. 5 years later Colorado has one of lowest addiction rates in the country.

Colorado Cannabis Legalization Five Years Later – End Result

The end result is good, no bad and less ugly. For one thing, over 50,000 jobs have been generated. These are legal, honest jobs that pay well. The economy is one of the best in the country. And this is mostly due to the marijuana industry. Another plus is that dozens of other Sates are finally seeing these crystal clear facts and following suit. The overwhelming burden of police officers and courts have been relieved, leaving room to crack down on real crime. And real crime is down. Even underage usage is down, to everyone’s surprise. And the list goes on and on. Colorado Cannabis Legalization Five Years Later is a whopping success. The sooner every other Sate legalizes cannabis the better off we will all be. Peace!