Pubdate: Mon, 08 Sep 2014 Source: Buffalo News (NY) Copyright: 2014 The Buffalo News Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/GXIzebQL Website: http://www.buffalonews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/61 Page: A8 POT PIONEERS Evidence From Legalization in 2 States Will Help Guide Decisions in the Rest Federalism is the American theory of using the 50 states as legal and social laboratories whose experiments can inform the other states and the federal government about practices that are worth duplicating and those that are not. To the benefit of the rest of the country, Colorado and Washington state have embarked on an experiment that may answer many questions about the use of marijuana and how governments deal with it. Both states have legalized the recreational use of marijuana and, at least in Colorado whose law was the focus of a recent story in The Buffalo News - many of the predicted problems have not materialized. Other issues have arisen problems caused by marijuana-laced candy, among them - and, of course, it's only eight months into this experiment. But if early indications hold up, it's hard to imagine other states won't also move to legalize recreational use of marijuana, especially given that pot is ubiquitous, and laws against it are already flagrantly disregarded. Among the revelations in the extensive News article by reporters Stephen T. Watson and Scott Scanlon: There has been no spike in crime, despite predictions by Denver police before last year's vote. In fact, serious crime, ranging from homicides to auto thefts, is down 10 percent from the same period last year. A Denver police spokesman cautioned against drawing conclusions after only six months, but it's at least a good start. Similarly, predictions of increased motor vehicle accidents and emergency room visits have been overblown. The state has generated $30.1 million in taxes, licenses and fees from marijuana sales in the first six months of the year. Some 11,289 Coloradans were working in the marijuana industry as of July, an 85 percent increase since the same time last year. Out-of-state visitors account for 90 percent of retail marijuana sales in mountain communities, and for 44 percent of retail sales in metro Denver. That suggests the possibility that as other states move to legalize recreational use of marijuana, Colorado's economic benefits will shrink just as expanded casino gambling has harmed Atlantic City's gambling industry. But there have been problems, including injuries to children who consumed pot-laced candies that look like gummies. Clearly, better labeling is needed and possibly an outright ban on products that could tempt children. Given the outcry over toy guns and the outlawing of candy cigarettes, this is clearly an area that is ripe for some form of regulation. None of this proves that legalizing the recreational use of marijuana is good for society, of course. It's another intoxicating substance that can cause problems in certain circumstances and whose long-term effects on users remain unclear. But alcohol is already legal and its immediate effects are periodically tragic, arguably far worse than those of marijuana. What is more, the war against marijuana was lost a long time ago and there is, from that perspective, sense in formally acknowledging the indisputable facts of its widespread use. Legalization will allow the redeployment of police and court resources and, importantly, put an end to the intolerable racial disparities in enforcement of laws that are broadly ignored. This is not an endorsement for New York to follow the lead of Colorado and Washington, but for all the states and the federal government to observe what happens there as this experiment progresses. In that way, if the day comes - and more likely, when it comes - for them to consider relaxing pot laws, there are examples, for good or bad, to guide their paths. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom