Jacob Sullum on Why Colorado's Governor Seems to Be Changing His Mind About Marijuana Legalization
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper. who opposed marijuana legalization in his state, seems to have had a change of heart. In a recent interview with Reuters, Hickenlooper conceded that the consequences of letting people grow, sell, and consume pot without fear of arrest have not been as bad as he feared. "It seems like the people that were smoking before are mainly the people that are smoking now," Hickenlooper said as Colorado marked six months of legal recreational sales at the end of June. "If that's the case, what that means is that we're not going to have more drugged driving, or driving while high. We're not going to have some of those problems. But we are going to have a system where we're actually regulating and taxing something, and keeping that money in the state of Colorado…and we're not supporting a corrupt system of gangsters." Jacob Sullum suggests some reasons for Hickenlooper's cautious optimism.