legalized cannabis...tourism boost?

[kitesurfer2]

please keep this clean and honest. do not insult any one. be respectful.

John Morgan from Fla may get elected to Gov of Fla should he decide to run. Since the med mj program in fla is basically a no go, Morgan is now considering a push to referendum legal recreational sales and grows.

Fla has always been about retirement places and tourism. Legalization here would be a financial boost for our state. prices would go up...and property value would go up. bad if trying to get in, but good if selling and leaving.

 

[MichaelB]

You want more tourists in Florida? Is there enough room?

 

[kitesurfer2]

exactly...Colorado has given big profits to th0se selling out and leaving while those coming in are paying big premiums to live there. so...the snow birds/duel residence types may be priced out of the market and replaced with affluent money people. but if removed from schedule 1, all states would be on a level playing field.

 

[MRG]

Ninth legal recreational state, Vermont, goes live today. Oklahoma just voted to legalize medical, it's very open on what medical conditions are covered. It's actually the loosest medical laws in the nation. Critics call it recreational.

 

[donheff]

John Morgan from Fla may get elected to Gov of Fla should he decide to run. Since the med mj program in fla is basically a no go, Morgan is now considering a push to referendum legal recreational sales and grows.

I have a friend in FL who gets medical MJ. Do you call it a no go because of the limited selection or because the qualifying conditions are limited?

 

[hesperus]

Legalization here would be a financial boost for our state. prices would go up...and property value would go up. bad if trying to get in, but good if selling and leaving.

Longtime colorado resident here. I see firsthand how tourism has been affected by legalized weed in colorado. We live in a beautiful tourist destination, with many recreational opportunities on the river, the mountains and the desert. We have always had a natural ebb and flow of visitors. But I have yet to see a direct correlation between legalized weed and increasing property values, or even folks deciding to move here just because it's legal. Sure it may sway some who are already thinking of moving here, but the big driver here for people moving in is the recreation and outdoor lifestyle.
Right now, mtn biking is a much bigger driver of tourism and immigation into this county than weed.

 

[Bamaman]

Such activities bring in an illegal element, and they are very dangerous people. In California, farm hands on pot farms are not allowed to be armed. And bootleggers have been known to rob the farms of "crops". We had a distant relative that was murdered by pot bootleggers.
First thing I think of is the magnificent job of genetic engineering those old hippies have done on marijuana. That old "grass" of 1968 is now a powerful drug.
My best friend has been in a marijuana fog since 1972. And he never met his potential in life. My stepson was the same way for 20 years, and remains a mellow fellow. He has essentially smoked up his 401k contributions.
My 23 year old granddaughter fell in love with a parolee who was a convicted pot trafficer. He got high one night and shot her dead.
Our local jail is packed full of methheads, and 100% of them started out on pot. They are just about all frequent fliers--in 3 months, out 3 months and back in. It is a lost generation.

 

[Gotadimple]

please keep this clean and honest. do not insult any one. be respectful.

Legalization here would be a financial boost for our state. prices would go up...and property value would go up. bad if trying to get in, but good if selling and leaving.

So the advocates say. Frankly, if FL doesn't already have an infrastructure to support tourism (and they do) as well as attractions (and they do), legalized pot isn't going to do it. If FL also doesn't have other industry besides tourism (and they do), increasing tourism isn't sustainable - all it takes is a mass killing at a nightclub, or a major storm event and tourism dies.



In WA state we have legalized pot. It doesn't attract tourists, but if they are here and they want to smoke, they know they can buy legally. But it is very expensive as the state gets a big cut. As for increased property values, probably not, and most cities will restrict the location of these shops, i.e., not within x distance from any school, etc. Washington state's increasing property values come from increased employment and pressures on the cost of homes/rentals (in most metropolitan areas).



The bigger impact to your state will be increased crime as the shops (and the ones selling medical marijuana) are targets for armed robbery. Finally, most who are considering starting a shop will find it difficult to locate a bank who will do business with them. Why? Because MJ is illegal at the federal level and all banks are subject to the rules regarding drug money.

 

[savory]

Longtime colorado resident here. I see firsthand how tourism has been affected by legalized weed in colorado. We live in a beautiful tourist destination, with many recreational opportunities on the river, the mountains and the desert. We have always had a natural ebb and flow of visitors. But I have yet to see a direct correlation between legalized weed and increasing property values, or even folks deciding to move here just because it's legal. Sure it may sway some who are already thinking of moving here, but the big driver here for people moving in is the recreation and outdoor lifestyle. Right now, mtn biking is a much bigger driver of tourism and immigation to this county than weed.

I just moved to WA and have yet to see how MJ is affecting things here in terms of home values and related things. Property values have recently gone up in the town we are living in but it seems more economy based not MJ based.

 

[Philliefan33]

......

Our local jail is packed full of methheads, and 100% of them started out on pot. They are just about all frequent fliers--in 3 months, out 3 months and back in. It is a lost generation.

I don’t believe the “gateway drug” argument. To say that 100% of meth heads started with pot doesn’t mean that 100% of pot smokers end up as meth heads.

I bet most meth heads smoked tobacco at some point. Does cigarette smoking lead to meth addiction? What about alcohol? Oh, I bet 100% of meth addicts drank milk as kids. Maybe milk is a gateway drug?

It’s all in how you ask the question, and who you ask. The better question would be to ask what percentage of pot smokers end up using heroin or meth.

If you ask a heroin or meth user “what was the first illegal drug that you used”, I believe that most would answer “marijuana”. Buy I bet that’s because to find a dealer, one probably has to work your way into the black market. I’m pretty sure any middle school student in my town would know who to talk to to buy some pot. But not so many could directly find a heroin dealer. Once a relationship is forged with a pot supplier, it’s probably easier to find a supplier for the harder drugs.

I don’t get the resistance to legal recreational marijuana. I don’t see how it is any different than tobacco or alcohol. (I don’t use pot or smoke tobacco, and very rarely drink alcohol).

 

[MRG]

If they're serious about tourism they need to allow Amsterdam/Vancouver style consumption establishments. The first state that does that will become the tourism winner.

In this state the problem for tourists is consumption. You can only combust in private places and motels/hotels can't allow indoor smoking. Sure you can grab high priced edibles, which are very tricky to dose properly, especially for newbies or folks returning from years off. Vape pens, especially dry herb vapes, are great, many tourists don't want to spend hundred(s) on a vape. Some VBRO people are okay with combustion, but it's difficult for tourists.

It's sad to me how much misinformation and old prejudice there is for a plant. The FDA just approved the first drug made from cannabis:
https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm611046.htm

Tough to say it has no medical benefits now. Proven to help many people who had no help or hope before. There's millions more who use it medically who were in the same situation.

I've talked with many people who use cannabis to replace opioids, meth, benzodiazepines and alcohol. They go from being a burden on our systems to contribute to society.

 

[Hermit]

Ninth legal recreational state, Vermont, goes live today. Oklahoma just voted to legalize medical, it's very open on what medical conditions are covered. It's actually the loosest medical laws in the nation. Critics call it recreational.

Wow! The state troopers in Kansas are going to be extremely busy! They stop my son on his way back to school in Virginia. He is college age and drives a beater car. If they have to stop every car of that description traveling from Oklahoma too, they may need to hire more troopers!

 

[Hermit]

Longtime colorado resident here. I see firsthand how tourism has been affected by legalized weed in colorado. We live in a beautiful tourist destination, with many recreational opportunities on the river, the mountains and the desert. We have always had a natural ebb and flow of visitors. But I have yet to see a direct correlation between legalized weed and increasing property values, or even folks deciding to move here just because it's legal. Sure it may sway some who are already thinking of moving here, but the big driver here for people moving in is the recreation and outdoor lifestyle.
Right now, mtn biking is a much bigger driver of tourism and immigation into this county than weed.

Maybe you have not tried to buy a home in the Denver area lately. It took my daughter and her husband a very long time to find a home they could afford and it was not in the area they wanted to live. It was on the other side of the city. It wasn't that they could not afford the homes, it was that people would come in with cash offers matching theirs. Without the availability of banks, the legitimate pot industry people have to put their cash somewhere.

 

[hesperus]

Maybe you have not tried to buy a home in the Denver area lately. It took my daughter and her husband a very long time to find a home they could afford and it was not in the area they wanted to live. It was on the other side of the city. It wasn't that they could not afford the homes, it was that people would come in with cash offers matching theirs. Without the availability of banks, the legitimate pot industry people have to put their cash somewhere.

But what evidence is there that the real estate growth and valuations in denver (or much of colorado for that matter) is due to the legalization of weed? I've seen these cycles before. We have a red hot market here in Durango too, but it's not unusual. We also witnessed a crazy hot market in 2006-07, long before weed arrived. Lot's of folks pay cash down here for their homes, but they're not weed barons.

 

[Hermit]

But what evidence is there that the real estate growth in denver (or much of colorado for that matter) is due to weed? I've seen these cycles before. We have a red hot market here in Durango, but it's not unusual.

No evidence. There is a pot shop on just about every corner in the Denver area. Must be someone making money. If you had a bunch of cash and were not allowed to put it in a bank, what would you do with it? It seems to me it needs to go somewhere. I hear it is legal to sell a house you own and deposit the cash in a bank. In fact, that is exactly what I did when I sold my house in Virginia. But who knows? Maybe they just bury it in a can in the back of the store.

 

[hesperus]

No evidence. There is a pot shop on just about every corner in the Denver area. Must be someone making money. If you had a bunch of cash and were not allowed to put it in a bank, what would you do with it? It seems to me it needs to go somewhere. I hear it is legal to sell a house you own and deposit the cash in a bank. In fact, that is exactly what I did when I sold my house in Virginia. But who knows? Maybe they just bury it in a can in the back of the store.

I know one guy who owns a dispensary, and although he appears to be doing well, I don't see him swimming in money. There's a lot of cash flowing in and out, but also a lot of expenses, due to laws and regulations. WE have a lot of dispensaries here too, but because of that there's quite a bit of competition among them. I see some thinning of the herd taking place in the years ahead.

Speaking of laws and regulations around the pot industry. I nearly invested in a testing laboratory here a couple of years ago. As long as there is legal weed, there will be a need for labs to provide an analysis of it due to strict regulations that are enforced by the state. Every grower and distributor has to test for and label the THC and CBD level, strength, and a host of other ingredients, as well as ensure that mold or heavy metals are not present. To me, these ancillary services are where opportunity still exists for new entry, because the growers and retailers have already saturated the market.

 

[MikeD]

Such activities bring in an illegal element, and they are very dangerous people. In California, farm hands on pot farms are not allowed to be armed. And bootleggers have been known to rob the farms of "crops". We had a distant relative that was murdered by pot bootleggers.
First thing I think of is the magnificent job of genetic engineering those old hippies have done on marijuana. That old "grass" of 1968 is now a powerful drug.
My best friend has been in a marijuana fog since 1972. And he never met his potential in life. My stepson was the same way for 20 years, and remains a mellow fellow. He has essentially smoked up his 401k contributions.
My 23 year old granddaughter fell in love with a parolee who was a convicted pot trafficer. He got high one night and shot her dead.
Our local jail is packed full of methheads, and 100% of them started out on pot. They are just about all frequent fliers--in 3 months, out 3 months and back in. It is a lost generation.

Good Gawd, Don't state your negative opinion of MJ!

You'l just be judged an idiot and be told how successful a particular user is.

 

[Beststash]

I'm not sure if MJ legalization would be a boost in tourism or not but I do think it would send a message of tolerance for any state. I don't expect Texas to legalize anytime soon (although there is talk) simply because many in the religious community somehow seem to relate MJ being against their beliefs

If the issue were to be put on the Texas ballot it would easily pass but our legislative heroes think they need to control what we want. A similar example is gambling. Galveston would be a meca for gambling in the US and if you look around in both Louisiana and Oklahoma most of the cars/trucks have Texas license plates. Maybe the economic factor can persuade Texans, after all we tolerate the nastiness of OIL and have for decades simply because of the jobs and revenue.

Personally I think it would be a net positive for Texas and we definitely need to chill out (especially in rural areas).

 

[kitesurfer2]

You want more tourists in Florida? Is there enough room?

Good Gawd, Don't state your negative opinion of MJ!

You'l just be judged an idiot and be told how successful a particular user is.

it's funny that you say it that way. but yea, you're right.

 

[harley]

Good Gawd, Don't state your negative opinion of MJ!

You'l just be judged an idiot and be told how successful a particular user is.

Yes, isn't it wonderful that the worm has turned. The opposite has been true for all of my lifetime.

Just out of curiosity what post are you referring to? I didn't see anyone countering Bamaman's post with opposing anecdotes or ridicule. Just one polite disagreement and mostly by being ignored.

 

[Henry Lili]

If they're serious about tourism they need to allow Amsterdam/Vancouver style consumption establishments. The first state that does that will become the tourism winner.

In this state the problem for tourists is consumption. You can only combust in private places and motels/hotels can't allow indoor smoking. Sure you can grab high priced edibles, which are very tricky to dose properly, especially for newbies or folks returning from years off. Vape pens, especially dry herb vapes, are great, many tourists don't want to spend hundred(s) on a vape. Some VBRO people are okay with combustion, but it's difficult for tourists.

It's sad to me how much misinformation and old prejudice there is for a plant. The FDA just approved the first drug made from cannabis:
https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm611046.htm

Tough to say it has no medical benefits now. Proven to help many people who had no help or hope before. There's millions more who use it medically who were in the same situation.

I've talked with many people who use cannabis to replace opioids, meth, benzodiazepines and alcohol. They go from being a burden on our systems to contribute to society.

I know two different Dads who had kids hooked on heroine. They gave them two choices. Jail tonight or rehab. Both took rehab and completed but still had craving Followed by relocating to California where at the time several years ago, was one of the few where MM was available. They credit it with helping them ease off and keep off heroine. A very small sample size...Yes. But for them a life saver.

 

[walkinwood]

...Our local jail is packed full of methheads, and 100% of them started out on pot....

This is exactly the erroneous argument that keeps cannabis illegal. If you ask those methheads, every one of them also consumed alcohol and smoked cigarettes. Hey, they even drank water!


The real question is how many people who have tried cannabis end up being meth addicts. I know many people who have used and/or still use cannabis, but I don't know any methheads or heroin addicts.

 

[COcheesehead]

But what evidence is there that the real estate growth and valuations in denver (or much of colorado for that matter) is due to the legalization of weed?.

Too many people, not enough homes.
https://www.denverpost.com/2016/05/...owth-far-outstripped-new-housing-census-says/

Why are there too many people? Ganja.
https://green rush daily.com/200000-people-moved-to-colorado/

 

[hesperus]

Too many people, not enough homes.
https://www.denverpost.com/2016/05/...owth-far-outstripped-new-housing-census-says/

Why are there too many people? Ganja.
https://green rush daily.com/200000-people-moved-to-colorado/

I don't carry a subscription to the Denver Post, but the second article adds nothing of any substance, other than anecdoctal assumptions that it's growth (3rd behind Texas and North Dakota) is due to legalization of weed. In fact one of its sources (Moving to Colorado for Marijuana) is no longer valid (shutdown).
I don't see anything here that sways my opinion.

 

[hesperus]

Can you post evidence to what you think has caused the inflation in home prices if it is not legalization of pot?

I think you got this a little backwards, my friend. The proof lies with you if you feel so strongly that pot has driven migration & prices up in colorado. That's your thesis, not mine. Like I've said, I've seen these real estate cycles before, independent of legalization.