Sheriff Danny Glick is Blowing Smoke About Marijuana (Commentary)

Laramie County Sheriff Danny Glick is at it again.

In a recent interview, Glick stated that the legalization of recreational marijuana in Colorado “has been negative."

Clearly, our Sheriff either hasn't seen, or has ignored, the overwhelming body of statistical evidence on the subject.

In 2015, licensed marijuana retailers in Colorado generated nearly $1 billion in revenue, including over $100 million in taxes.

Glick claims that Colorado “didn’t deal with it appropriately,” in spite of statistics that show marijuana legalization in Denver has not affected crime rates. In fact, marijuana related crimes now account for less than one percent of all criminal offenses in the Mile High City.

Another study shows that licensed retail establishments now control an estimated 70 percent of the marijuana market in Colorado, which helps regulate product safety, contributes tax revenue to public education and drastically reduces the number of criminal cartels operating in the state.

Yet, Glick contends that “there’s too many questions unanswered.”

Let's look at some of those questions.

Has legal marijuana adversely impacted the economy? Forbes recently ranked Denver as "America's Best Place to Do Business." Four other Colorado cities finished in the top 40 nationwide. Meanwhile, the real estate market continues to boom and tourists are flocking to Colorado in record numbers.

Will legalization lead to increased marijuana usage among children? So far, the percentage of minors using marijuana in Colorado has not been affected.

Will there be more stoned drivers on the roads? The number of marijuana related DUI arrests in Colorado actually decreased in 2015.

Will voters regret their decision to make marijuana legal? According to a recent poll, over half of Colorado residents think legalization has been good for their state. 55 percent say they would vote for it again. Even Governor John Hickenlooper, who once opposed legalization, is now in favor of "continuing the experiment."

Which begs another question: Has Sheriff Glick bothered to do any research before condemning Colorado's pot laws? Don't kid yourself.

Here's the statistic he really cares about. Since 2010, arrests for marijuana possession and distribution in Colorado have fallen over 90 percent.

That represents an awful lot of revenue they won't be able to collect from fines. Simply put, marijuana arrests generate a different kind of 'green' for law enforcement agencies.

If Glick really cared about public safety, he would be more concerned with alcohol than marijuana. According to the most recent statistics from his own office, alcohol related arrests in Laramie County more than triple the number of all drug related arrests.

Put that in your pipe and smoke it.