To boost its economy, one Colorado county embraced marijuana. Did it work?
In a groundbreaking new study, a report released Monday fromresearchers at Colorado State University-Pueblofinds that the marijuana industry provides a net positive economic benefit to Pueblo County, even when accounting for demands on law enforcement and social services.
The report estimates that the marijuana industry had an economic impact of more than $58 million in the county in 2016, while leading to added costs of roughly $23 million resulting in a more than $35 million positive net impact. The report estimates that, in the most likely scenario, that net impact will rise to nearly $100 million a year by 2021.
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Meanwhile, the report which runs to more than 200 pages in length and examines trends in revenue, construction, marijuana use, homelessness, crime, environmental impact and other topics finds little conclusive evidence to support arguments that marijuana legalization has caused widespread social change in the county. The report, for instance, notes anecdotes that marijuana legalization has led to higher in-migration and homelessness in the county ...
