Colorado Governor Hickenlooper Forced To Backtrack On Cannabis Statements

After Democratic Governor John Hickenlooper called the 2012 legalization vote “reckless” this month, he was forced to quickly backtrack on these comments after pushback from an aggrieved and politically motivated Colorado cannabis industry.  Hickenlooper uttered the statement during a debate with Republican challenger Bob Beauprez.

The Governor’s staff immediately began damage control and reached out to cannabis leaders, in particular, who organized a fundraiser for the governor less than two months ago.   Hickenlooper was also prompted to issue a statement after the debate clarifying his position, saying that the use of “reckless” was the wrong word to use, and that given the current federal legal environment, “risky” was what he meant to imply.

Predictably, the incident rippled quickly throughout the state industry, which was also fast to express its ongoing displeasure with the governor’s track record on reform. Although personally opposed to recreational legalization, to date Hickenlooper has worked to implement the new law, including negotiating financial reform on the federal level.  That said, some felt that this statement during a debate was indicative of how he has treated the issue – as one of political expediency.

Either way, the governor’s speedy apologetic tone is at least very telling of the new shift towards educated statements towards cannabis and its legal reform.