Colorado legalized marijuana in 2012, and started selling it legally at the beginning of 2014. Marijuana opponents predicted that the sky would fall, and that people would look back on the decision to legalize marijuana and see it as a total failure. Obviously the sky is still in place, and according to a new poll, Colorado voters would approve marijuana legalization again if they could, and by a wider margin than during the 2012 Election.
“According to a new Quinnipiac poll, 58 percent of registered Colorado voters support Amendment 64, which legalized marijuana in Colorado. Only 39 percent oppose the new law. This is a modest increase in support for legalization over the past year. During the 2012 election Amendment 64 was approved by a vote of 55.3 – 44.7%.” according to Fire Dog Lake.
The world has been watching Colorado since it legalized marijuana, trying to get a glimpse of what it’s like when a state legalizes. States that are considering legalizing marijuana are paying close attention to what works, what doesn’t work, and how the mood is among voters. This poll should boost efforts in those states, as marijuana supporters can point to the fact that after a month of legal sales, and well over a year since voters approved Amendment 64, things are going just fine.
The same poll found that a majority of Colorado voters think that marijuana is hurting the image of the state, which I don’t agree with. Yes, Colorado is the butt of many jokes. I know in my workplace there are a lot of snarky comments about people that visit Colorado. However, the State of Colorado is raking in the tax dollars from legal sales, and organized crime is feeling the pinch I’m sure. So Colorado gets the last laugh, and they can laugh all the way to the bank.
