"It completely devastated the state of Colorado," says Jeff Hunt, a radio host in Denver. "First off, you're not just legalizing a drug, you're commercializing a drug – and anybody who knows the free market knows that when you unleash the power of the free market on an addictive substance like marijuana, you are now encouraging [that] power … to get as many people using that drug as they possibly can."
To put it another way, Hunt says "you basically recreated all the tobacco companies again."
According to Hunt, the Rocky Mountain State has seen a dramatic increase in the amount of car accidents related to marijuana consumption; and more young people are using the drug, which Hunt says is harming their brains.
"In fact, marijuana is the number-one drug linked to youth suicide in the state of Colorado," says Hunt. "It is a disaster on every front – and I strongly, strongly recommend that no other states embrace this," he adds.
Groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) want people in Florida to vote in favor of the legalization of recreational marijuana. It appears as Amendment 3 on the general election ballot in Florida this November. (See related article)
"Amendment 3 is a significant step forward in respecting the personal freedom of Floridians and is crucial in addressing the disproportionate impact that the criminalization of marijuana possession and use has had on Florida's black community and other communities targeted by the criminal legal system," said Bacardi L. Jackson, executive director for ACLU of Florida in a statement.
"By approving Amendment 3, Florida voters can create a future that is both more equitable and more respectful of the freedom of the people of our state,” argued the ACLU’s statement.
Hunt says it’s one thing to make it so people aren’t going to prison because they consume a little marijuana, but he argues this will lead to "pot shops everywhere" and "advertisements for marijuana everywhere" and a "culture that's encouraging people to use marijuana."
Meanwhile, the radio host dismisses claims that legalizing marijuana will generate new revenue.
"The Centennial Institute found that for every $1.00 of tax revenues that are still taken from marijuana, they spend $4.50 dealing with the effects of this," Hunt explains. "This includes an increase in the amount of people calling emergency rooms from accidental marijuana ingestion, particularly among kids that are now consuming this – and you have a loss of workforce production as people consume marijuana."
