Dispensaries Make Good Neighbors

Despite the uproarious crying of DJ Kevin Sabet and the Quack Pack, the uptick in dispensaries has not caused a proto-armageddon complete with dancing chainsaws and turtles in lingerie. On the contrary, it seems that dispensaries make exceptionally good neighbors in Denver business communities.

A local man who owns an auto repair shop near a dispensary had this to say, “There are laws against loitering in front of dispensaries. I see a lot of loitering in front of liquor stores, but nobody ever hangs around [the dispensary]. Customers are in and out and on their way.”

In fact, most of the some 275 dispensaries located in Denver are in lower-income areas, but residents don’t seem to mind. One dispensary said they get calls every day from people inquiring about work. These places are creating some new, local jobs as well.

Colorado politician, Crisanta Duran, a state house representative and chair of the Joint Budget Committee stated, “We continue to see increases in tax revenue from recreational sales. Medical marijuana licenses have increased by 3.8% and last month’s tax revenues from recreational marijuana increased by more than 10%. Overall, there’s been an upward trend.”

“What we’ve seen in Colorado since regulation is a 3% drop in teen use, a 25% reduction in the availability of cannabis on school grounds and a drop in traffic fatalities,” said Darnell, an attorney who specializes in marijuana law. “We’ve also seen crime drop in neighborhoods with dispensaries in them. It’s across the board.”

That may be partly a result of healthy distancing of dispensaries from schools by Denver city officials, as well as state funding of public awareness campaigns.

“Five million dollars is going towards advertisements to educate the public about the use of marijuana,” said Duran, “We’ve also invested money in school prevention programs and $40 million will go to school construction. We are trying to regulate in a reasonable fashion according to the will of the people of Colorado.”

I just love hearing stories like this. I never thought marijuana would be a scourge on society, but I honestly did not expect to see such positive trends so soon. I feel like we’re in an avalanche moment, there is just no putting this genie back in the bottle.