Transcript Aim #6: Should individual states have the right to legalize marijuana

Aim #6: Should individual states have the
right to legalize marijuana (part 1)?
• Do Now: Based on what you know right now,
do you think states should have the right to
legalize marijuana for recreational purposes
for people over the age of 21? Why or why
not?
1. Why is Pueblo, Colorado referred to
as “the Napa Valley of cannabis?”
• It is now home to over 90 pot-growing
facilities
• Bob DeGabrielle’s facility (Los Suenos Farms) is
36 acres and has 21,600 plants. It is the largest
recreational cultivation facility in the country.
2. How is the growing of marijuana
regulated in Colorado?
• Every plant grown by a licensed operator is
entered into a database, outfitted with a radio
frequency tag, and tracked from seed-to-sale.
• 289 cameras track every plant.
• 22,000 pounds of marijuana are harvested,
put in barrels and inspected by the state for
quality control.
3. How could it be argued that the new
marijuana industry is helping Pueblo County
(think in particular about the economic
benefits)?
• Marijuana has created 1,300 jobs and more
than 60 businesses in Pueblo.
• Los Suenos is making $20 million a year
4. How could it be argued that the legalization of marijuana is
hurting Pueblo County (think in particular about the effects on
newborn babies, teenagers, and the increase in criminal
activity)?
• More babies being born with marijuana in their system (27 in the
first nine months of 2016). This can lead to verbal, behavior and
memory problems during early childhood.
• In the first ten months of this year, 71 teenagers came into the
emergency room with marijuana in their system (when teenagers
use 4-5 times a week, this can cause long-term damage in areas of
the brain that help control attention, memory and decisionmaking).
• Criminal organizations are coming to Pueblo to grow marijuana
illegally for out of state use (Cuban nationals from Florida, Russians
from NY, drug cartels from Southeast Asia). There have been 36
drug busts this year.
• More people are getting high between the wheel – there is
currently no field sobriety test for detecting it.
5. How has Colorado learned from early mistakes that
were made in legalizing marijuana? How has Colorado
benefitted as a result?
• After a number of people overdosed on
marijuana edibles, Colorado implemented new
rules, limiting the amount of THC in products (the
psychoactive ingredient in marijuana), and
requiring new labels detailing the potency of
each serving.
• Revenue from marijuana brought in $141 million
in taxes, and arrests for possession are down
almost 50 percent since 2012.
Concluding Question
• Based on what you learned in the video,
would you consider Colorado’s marijuana
legalization policies a success? Why or why
not? Support your response with specific facts
and examples from the video.