Denver Suburbs may Allow Legal Cannabis

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]F[/dropcap]or a while, the easiest way to get cannabis in Denver was to stay within the confines of the city itself. Most of the outlying suburban metro areas, although often very close to the urban center itself, did not allow legal cannabis. Now, many of these areas are thinking about allowing cannabis, in light of the success of recreational stores in Denver.

Currently, Englewood, Sheridan, Littleton and Longmont are considering opening up retail cannabis outlets. Lakewood plans to vote this fall to see if the community wants to allow recreational stores to open up in the area, according to the Denver Post.

“It’s becoming evident to a number of local communities that it is safe to opt in,” Michael Elliott, who currently serves as the executive director of the Marijuana Industry Group, told The Denver Post. “They’re looking at their neighbors, seeing that the sky isn’t falling and they’re saying, ‘What’s the big deal?’”

This would mean that the outlying areas in Denver, especially the south side of the city, will be able to access cannabis much more easily. Given the fact that over $587 million worth of cannabis was sold last year in Colorado, it is not surprising that these locations want to get in on the action. These counties are also probably looking to outlying areas that already allow legal cannabis, such as Edgewater and Aurora. These places boast high tax revenue from their businesses, and because Edgewater allows dispensaries to be open until midnight instead of 7PM like Denver, they are able to tap into the late-night market.

“We’ve had our time to hesitate, we’ve had our time to study it—I think there’s enough evidence out there that recreational marijuana can be done safely and responsibly,” Emmett Reistroffer, from the Englewood Liquor and Medical Marijuana Licensing Authority, told The Denver Post. “The conversation shouldn’t be about allowing the industry; it should be about embracing it.”

“We do not seek revenue,” Michael Penny, City Manager for Littleton, explained to the Post. “We are a beneficiary of the success of our businesses and will provide the highest level of service delivery possible on the revenue we receive from our businesses.”

“Citizens in these outlying locations don’t just want to have easier access to cannabis stores – they also resent the fact that Denver is getting all the revenue from people who live in outlying areas, since they have to trek downtown to buy cannabis,” explained Rudy Ellen, General Manager for Verde Natural, a recently re-opened dispensary on Colfax, in an interview with CULTURE. “If these areas allowed recreational stores, they could keep their money and put it towards things like schools and helping the areas thrive.”

“Our schools could use the money to actually expand our school building,” Sophia Vamvakias, an 18-year-old from Englewood, explained in an editorial she wrote titled “Where’s our pot money?!” “Right now, the high school has three hallways and not enough classrooms for all of the teachers. Chemistry is more fun when the science department can afford to buy resources for different labs. English is easier when each student can have a book.”

Only time will tell if each of these locations will choose to vote on legal cannabis, but due to the success in Denver and the outcry from citizens, it seems very likely that outlying Metro areas have increased cannabis access in their future.