# Colorado legalized it! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 7, 2012, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-legalized-it/640185 "2012-11-07T06:42:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-legalized-it/640185/121 "2012-11-13T01:00:36Z")
Spent some time IMing a former co-worker last night who is now looking at moving to CO or WA. Young guy, mostly going to school, so not a lot to stop him. ---
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-legalized-it/640185/122 "2012-11-13T02:31:37Z")
Seriously looking to move here over that? That’s so weird to me, along with the expected “pot tourism” I’ve been hearing about. I just don’t get it. I don’t think I know of anyone who is going to change whether or not they smoke based on this. I wonder how employee drug tests will be handled though. It can’t be handled like alcohol, of course, since it stays in your system past the time when you’re intoxicated. Are they still just going to say no weed allowed? ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-legalized-it/640185/123 "2012-11-13T02:34:44Z")
Has nothing to do with deciding to smoke when he/you/they don’t. Has everything to do with reduction of risk and increased ease of procurement. Hell, ability to buy an ounce of weed whenever you want it (no more dry spells) with no risk of being arrested? Sign me up (and it’s been 9 years since I last smoked). ---
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-legalized-it/640185/124 "2012-11-13T02:50:46Z")
But the smokers I know don’t seem concerned about getting caught. Seattle police already had an explicit policy making simple possession their absolute lowest priority. I mean, obviously it’s not zero-risk, but it was extremely low for people not doing other things to draw attention to themselves. And buying it doesn’t seem to be any challenge for anyone I know either. If these state stores are anything like our state liquor stores (which we just disbanded, and now we have this…) they’ll be really expensive. ---
**Author:** ![doctor\_krieger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@doctor\_krieger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doctor_krieger)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-legalized-it/640185/125 "2012-11-13T02:57:52Z")
Peyton Manning acquired 21 Papa John’s franchises in the state of Colorado. A week later, they legalized marijuana. Well played Peyton, well played. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-legalized-it/640185/126 "2012-11-13T03:04:12Z")
> [@Blackberry](#): > > But the smokers I know don’t seem concerned about getting caught. That’s the people you know, in the state you know. Don’t assume the same applies everywhere else. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-legalized-it/640185/127 "2012-11-13T03:04:56Z")
> [@Blackberry](#): > > Seriously looking to move here over that? That’s so weird to me, along with the expected “pot tourism” I’ve been hearing about. I just don’t get it. I imagine that there is a small, dedicated, yet not insubstantial amount of affluent professionals (and others with a bit of disposable income to burn) who like to smoke and enjoy trying lots of different marijuana strains (much like craft beer snobs or hardcore oenophiles) without any fear of legal hassles or feeling like they have to constantly look over their shoulder with each new bowl they fire up, who will now take the occasional 3 day weekend to Denver or Seattle, maybe ski a day or two or catch a band that they groove on, all while doing a bit of recreational puffing without stigma or shame. Afterall, marijuana is all but completely legalized in Germany, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland, Italy etc., etc., yet the Netherlands still makes hundreds of millions of Euros each year from European tourists coming primarily to patronize the coffeeshops. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-legalized-it/640185/128 "2012-11-13T03:15:30Z")
It will be interesting to see if employers continue or start dropping the requirement to pass a drug scan for employment, or random scans, because of this. Anybody know if current requirements specifically state “because it’s a felony” or some such? ---
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-legalized-it/640185/129 "2012-11-13T03:28:37Z")
Yeah, what you guys are saying makes sense I guess. Everyone I know is just like, “Well yeah, obviously it should be legal, but, eh…” either because they already smoke and it’s not going to change much for them (friends) or because they’re not going to smoke either way (family). > [@Ethilrist](#): > > It will be interesting to see if employers continue or start dropping the requirement to pass a drug scan for employment, or random scans, because of this. Anybody know if current requirements specifically state “because it’s a felony” or some such? I just got curious about it and looked it up, and learned that employees can still be fired over it even though it’s legal. Even medical marijuana. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-legalized-it/640185/130 "2012-11-13T03:44:48Z")
> [@Blackberry](#): > > I just got curious about it and looked it up, and learned that employees can still be fired over it even though it’s legal. Even medical marijuana. That’s a big reason why I mentioned that professionals will likely make up a significant percentage of the so-called “Pot Tourists”, as not only do they typically (though certainly not always) have more disposable income that the average blue-collar worker does, I imagine that accountants, lawyers, librarians, educators and social workers are less likely to have to submit to random drug testing than many construction workers, maintenance men or diesel mechanics are, for better or worse… ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-legalized-it/640185/131 "2012-11-13T12:09:41Z")
> [@Blackberry](#): > > Seriously looking to move here over that? That’s so weird to me, along with the expected “pot tourism” I’ve been hearing about. I just don’t get it. I don’t think I know of anyone who is going to change whether or not they smoke based on this. We are looking into relocating. It would be great to go back to having an indoor garden, and not worry about getting busted 24/7. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2012, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-legalized-it/640185/132 "2012-11-14T02:40:46Z")
Go sign this petition! > **[The White House](https://www.whitehouse.gov)** > > President Biden and Vice President Harris promised to move quickly to deliver results for working families. That’s what they’ve done. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colorado-legalized-it/640185.md?page=6)