There is a third pot shop that is opening next to this tourist attraction and the historic scenic railroad site. It will be a grow and sell pot shop. They are putting the third pot shop in a historic register building. Now when visitors from all over the world come to visit this historic site they can take 100 steps next door and buy their pot from what used to be Hogland's a historic building. Hogland's has been next to the old fort as long as the fort has been there.
This isn't about the pro and con of legalized marijuana but about the down side which was not made known when those advocating legalized marijuana were convincing the voters to adopt the new law. Our little quiet town has now become a bastion of vagrants who have migrated here due to its small size and equally small law enforcement presence. Ft. Garland used to be a town with good family values and no crime to speak of. We have recently had one of our small businesses robbed at gun point -something here to fore unheard of - and we were told by one resident that they are now having to keep driving off vagrants from their yard and property.
Denver is bemoaning that the heavy influx of homeless people who have come to Colorado for the "legal" marijuana and have swamped their social system to the point they can't help those in actual need anymore. Then we have two adjoining States who are suing our State because of increased law enforcement needed because of pot crossing into their states where it is still illegal. A third state is contemplating whether to also join the suit. It is still illegal according to the Federal Government. One thing we citizens were not told is the large market of consumables that would grow from the new "legalized" pot industry. There are daily reports of children having to go to the ER for consuming what they think is candy only to find out it is look alike candy laced with marijuana.
Statistics are now being released that those who have smoked marijuana in the last week have twice the chance of being involved in a traffic accident. That it causes temporary memory loss. It is showing up in schools at alarming rates. Those are just a few of the many down sides of legalizing pot. The revenue it provides is excellent but at what cost? Regretfully we voters were not told of the down side only all the money it would bring to the economy. Our streets are now filled with homeless vagrants which are draining resources for those in actual need. Our children are getting seriously sick consuming marijuana eatables that they think is normal candy when it is only made to look like regular candy. Our state is struggling on how to label it so people won't get it by accident. Crime to pay for drug habits is on the increase. Drivers are slowly weaving all over the road being high on marijuana. Advocates claim it has medical value and doctors claim the opposite. Advocates say it is less harmful than alcohol. Opponents say it is a gateway drug that leads to more serious drug use. Personally I do not know who is correct but what I do know is that having three pot shops in a city with a population of 433 isn't doing the community a bit of good. As we drove home from the vet today with our dog Echo we saw a man with probably 20 garbage bags and plastic crates in Ft. Garland. He is known as a vagrant and lives on a street corner asking people for marijuana. I see our quaint and historic city heading down due to one pot shop for every 144 citizens. Parents who have for years tried to keep their children off drugs now have pot shops within walking distance of their homes and schools. All this at what cost??? Is it really in the best interest of small communities like ours to have such a proliferation of pot shops taking over its community with buildings that are covered in psychedelic graffiti? The jury is out but it looks to me like pot is going to destroy small communities like Ft. Garland...
8 comments:
Comment by Jane:
According to last week’s papers—It sounded like they are going to have a tough time getting approval for the one at Hoagland’s store. I certainly hope it gets the axe. I agree with you about the locations of the shops. Every time I turn around there is another one in Denver—we saw a new one yesterday. They are keeping them a distance from schools, though. It is a learning process for municipalities and small communities just weren’t prepared.
the only thing I believe holding up the deal is the grow part. It is zoned commercial. They can grow somewhere else and sell there. The other pot shop made the roof look crazy and now they are painting the front to match. Makes me sick.
Comment by Raylene:
..I think the same statements should have been made when prohibition was revoked------my childhood certainly wasn’t enhanced by the consumption of alcohol by my father when I was a child---consequently, I rarely have an alcoholic drink. Certainly leads to sudden death of a viable township. Perhaps if someone put a dollar value on what the cost will be to the community as a whole, people would take it more seriously. It is about choices---that is what the grands are being taught. As a nurse, I had a hard time wrapping my heart around those I cared for who were hospitalized due to their continued poor choices---time after time as they were hospitalized…..sometimes leading me to question my own Christian value system which was stretched to find the compassion required….and now I am off my rant! My “poor grandkids” are being raised by the same value system their parents were raised and live. I hardly ever take a drink of anything alcoholic and never have alcohol and drive ---too many bad memories of childhood and a spouse that I think drank to excess to live with his poor choices. Amen!
to the best of my knowledge the residents were not asked our opinion....the permits were granted and off they went. disgusting. this building used to be a junk store, then it was restored and was a nice gift shop...and now this.
Comment by Pat:
This was so well written! I just read most of it to Carolyn because I thought you had so much to say. Can you get this published somewhere?
They are going to allow medicinal marijuana here in IL.... but they have pretty strict guidelines to get it. If you want change the only way is to let your government know. Write letters, make phone calls if you are so inclined. If they get enough complaints they will do something about it. I'm hoping they change it to medicinal only after they see what a terrible idea it was to make it recreational. We're coming out there in May, that's sad that's going to be our first impression of the town... Doesn't bode well for tourism or for people wanting to move there. They considered letting them open a grow place here in our town, but the city wouldn't allow it, which I think is a good thing. We don't allow alcohol to be sold in town either, not that it matters much since we are right next to other towns that do. But, 3 pot stores in one tiny town..... YUCK!
Nadia: That is how it started out here and Colorado had strict guidelines too. The problem seemed to be enforcement of those guidelines. Now it is like a run away freight train. By being legal law enforcement struggles to keep up with it. The studies are now revealing that its medicinal benefits are not as great as claimed. Doctors were handing out Rx for it for just about anything and hence it was being used for recreational and not medicinal purposes. It went straight from confusion to legalized with a slick ad campaign. We are now seeing the down side to legalizing it which is what I wrote about. As I see it there is no turning back now as the politicians like the profit for their programs and won't give that revenue up. They would consider little towns like Ft. Garland as collateral loss. Marijuana is bringing in more revenue than the 433 citizens. I don't see any immediate change for this "social experiment" as our governor refers to it.
I love your blog. This is something I didn't know about. My wife and I just bought a parcel in the ranches. We plan on moving up there next summer. I think the pot shops are just trying to take advantage of the "tourists".
We got tired of the big city here in NM, our pop. is 1300 (lol)
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