Although marijuana prohibition came tumbling down in Colorado a couple of years ago when the state officially launched the first recreational cannabis market in the United States, it appears the concept of busting fewer people for weed has caused the system to spiral out of control, prompting law enforcement to beg for a break so they can figure out a new plan of attack against marijuana.
In a recent letter unearthed by The Denver Post, Colorado’s leading prosecutors and police officials are demanding that state lawmakers put a temporary hold on any additional legislative revisions to the state’s marijuana laws because they simply “cannot keep up” with the ever changing climate surrounding legal weed.
Pointing out that more than 80 marijuana-related bills have been submitted in the Colorado legislature over the course of the past several years, the letter pleads with state legislators to be a little less enthusiastic about tweaking the Colorado cannabis industry at every turn.
"Regulation seems to change on a daily basis, and this process must be slowed down," the letter reads.
To remedy this situation, the cry baby coalition consisting of the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police, the County Sheriffs of Colorado and the Colorado District Attorneys' Council goes on to suggest imposing a two-year moratorium on “any changes to current law with regard to marijuana legalization, unless a strong public safety nexus is established.”
While it is true the Colorado cannabis trade has been the subject of constant change ever since voters agreed that marijuana should be legal to buy in a manner similar to beer, the hammers of the state should expect the legislative grind to be somewhat schizophrenic in regards to regulating a substance that has been considered public enemy No. 1 for the past several decades.
Nevertheless, the group wants a special legislative committee to incorporate a short-term screeching halt to pot legislation while also providing them with the funding to monitor the impact of legal weed and train police forces.
It is interesting that while Colorado cops are no longer permitted to arrest people for the possession of marijuana, the system seems to be digging into the crevasses of the legal market to find alternative reasons to bust people for weed. Yet, pot legalization has been one of the most positive changes to happen in the Centennial State in years. Not only is the cannabis industry generating hundreds of millions of dollars in economic growth, leading state officials, including Governor Hickenlooper’s drug czar, Andrew Freedman, say Colorado has not seen an increase in crime as originally predicted would happen with the passing of Amendment 64.
graphic via travelandleisure.com
