Hickenlooper’s Economic Fear of Legal Cannabis Not Realized

Colorado Gov. Hickenlooper

In a revelation that should surprise absolutely no one in the cannabis community, Governor John Hickenlooper of Colorado recently stated that, despite his fears, the legalization of marijuana in his state has had no negative economic consequences.

Gov. Hickenlooper’s feared that growing business interest in his state would be derailed by the stigma of being a “stoner haven.”

From the article: Hickenlooper, whose priority has been luring businesses and entrepreneurs to Denver, Boulder, and other hubs, had worried a view of Colorado as the stoner state could “distort all the work that we’ve done” in presenting a pro-business image, he said in an interview. “We haven’t seen it yet,” he said of the feared negative economic impact. “That’s why we have been so aggressive and rigorous with implementing the regulations.”

Though he drew much ire for it, Hickenlooper opposed cannabis legalization. However, since it passed the vote his focus shifted to creating a legitimate business atmosphere for marijuana. “We predicted that this would be an industry that would function like any other industry — that they would be no more or less driven or acquisitive than any other industry and they would be no more or less given to regulation and supporting regulation,” Hickenlooper said, “they look at their self-interest just like another business, but it’s a whole different framework: No one has ever had a self-interest like this, where they have got to protect the right to do in a state what’s illegal nationally. The industry was a great supporter of our very stiff tax rates; generally they’ve been supportive of our pretty stiff regulation.”

It is interesting and, I think, somewhat encouraging that the cannabis market has done so well in Colorado. Maybe ‘well’ isn’t the term (although it is predicted to generate more than $130 million in tax revenue for this year). Maybe it’s better to look at it in the context of seeing how many of the fears promised by naysayers have not materialized.

Take that in consideration with the fact that Colorado is a political test-kitchen of sorts for the pulse of the nation and I think it bodes well for cannabis legalization nationwide. The thought being that if it works in Colorado, a state with a rich political and socioeconomic diversity, why can’t it work everywhere?

At the very least, it’s another piece of evidence that contradicts the notion that marijuana is evil and will ruin our country. I’ll take it as a win.