To Poke Smot or Not?

By Janelle Kienast

FORT COLLINS, Colo--“The Healing of a Nation?” This is what some frequent pot smokers like to call the new medical marijuana movement. People have been smoking cannabis for decades and it has ultimately been a taboo topic; that everyone was exposed to but no one really talked about it until now.

Since President Obama took office, there has been an overall increase in the demand for medical marijuana. He proposed that state laws have the ability to legalize medical marijuana and that federal laws would not intervene. There are currently 14 states that have adopted this new idea. However the states that have the highest possession limit are Washington, allowing 24oz, Oregon also allowing 24oz, and lastly Colorado which limits medical marijuana possession to 8 oz or eighteen plants.

Colorado’s green rush started in 2000, however its popularity hit the roof around 2008. On average there have been between 60,000-70,000 cards issued to date and there are no signs of this slowing down anytime soon. Many people argue that marijuana is a lot safer than Vicodin or many depression medications that were previously prescribed to patients.
One of the cities that may appreciate the new marijuana movement more than anyone is Fort Collins. This city has a population of approximately 138,736, and houses a college based community surrounding Colorado State University. Fort Collins currently houses 108 Marijuana Dispensaries.

“Pot is natural, makes people happy and I’ve never heard of anyone dying from a THC overdose.” Stated an unnamed Fort Collins local that claimed she has smoked since she was 12.

Although this city does have a very young population and strives to keep the college town image, that’s still a very high amount in relation to the population. That’s to say if everyone in this community had a medical marijuana license, then approximately there would be a dispensary for every 1000 people. Although there are a handful of people that dislike this medical marijuana movement, most people in Fort Collins are happy about the growing demands for dispensaries.

“I think it’s a good thing. It’s the best way for our country to do it. I mean I don’t think our country should be like the city of Amsterdam, but I do think that if people want to go to the trouble of getting a card, they should be able to smoke in their house.” Stated a current Front Range Student.

Whether people like it or not marijuana has become a big part of business in Colorado. In addition it appears as this trend will only increase in the next decade, and Colorado is along for the ride.