Letters: Colorado's cannabis model has huge benefits

Everything about Kate Hawkesby's editorial is incorrect. (Opinion, July 18) It takes real willingness to be this wrong.

I happen to be from Colorado and know first-hand how overwhelmingly beneficial cannabis legalisation has been.

There is a mountain of evidence to support this. Let's begin with the tax.

According to the state's Governor, in five years Colorado has generated more than $1 billion in cannabis revenue and the industry employs roughly 41,000 people.

With these dollars the state has funded infrastructure improvements, education, and public health initiatives.

In fact, the Colorado system has become a model coercing other states and their voters to take up legalisation initiatives.

Economically cannabis legalisation is extraordinarily successful. Importantly, youth use in Colorado has not increased and is in fact, behind the national average.

Additionally, it should be noted this is a trend that follows in the other states that have legalised cannabis.

The so-called black market? Before legalisation cannabis sold for around $4000 per pound. Now? $800.

When one can easily grow at home or nip down to the dispensary to purchase well regulated, well priced cannabis what incentive does one have to buy from gangsters?

What logic does this follow? Everyone I know who uses cannabis in Colorado buys or grows legitimately and never shows up to work "stoned".

Just as they don't show up to work drunk.

You get fired for this kind of behaviour remember?

Aaron Brown
Bethlehem

Watermelon Government

Is it only me who sees a similarity between this watermelon Government's determination that our citizens purchase only electric cars and the total failure when Helen Clark's Government wanted to make us all use compact fluorescent light bulbs and that other Labour Government failure when they wanted to regulate the flow of water through our shower heads?

At least one glaring similarity is that these Labour Governments, always supported by their watermelon allies, are consistent in their determination that we'll all just do what we're told.

Roll on the general election, and New Conservative!

Leo Leitch
Pukenui

The Bay of Plenty Times welcomes letters from readers. Please note the following:

• Letters should not exceed 200 words.

• They should be opinion based on facts or current events.

• If possible, please email.

• No noms-de-plume.

• Letters will be published with names and suburb/city.

• Please include full name, address and contact details for our records only.

• Local letter writers given preference.

• Rejected letters are not normally acknowledged.

• Letters may be edited, abridged, or rejected at the Editor's discretion.

• The Editor's decision on publication is final.

Email editor@bayofplentytimes.co.nz