Colorado’s Marijuana Legalization Ballot Issue Is Leading In State Polls

Colorado’s marijuana legalization efforts are gaining a lot of traction in state polls. A University of Denver poll revealed that 50 percent of voters plan to support the recreational sale of cannabis to adults in the state. Colorado is already among the 17 states which allow medical marijuana dispensaries. To date, there are 500 such dispensaries operating statewide. The marijuana industry in the state supports 4,000 jobs.

Law enforcement agencies, along with some doctors, businesses, and educators are pushing back against Amendment 64, but growing support for the controlled and monitored sale of marijuana in Colorado appears to indicate that the measure will pass on election day.

As The Inquisitr already reported, a multi-agency call initiated by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) conducted on Monday pushed Attorney General Eric Holder to denounce marijuana legalization issues pending in several states. According to DEA conference call excerpts, drug-related agencies are gearing up for a Constitutional challenge to such legalizing marijuana initiatives, if voters allow passage of the measures in November.

Holder stated in 2010 that he would staunchly fight to see that federal cannabis laws are followed, but has remained largely quiet on the current medical marijuana dispensary situation and the upcoming state ballot issues relating to recreational pot usage, according to the Huffington Post.

There are currently 100,000 Colorado medical marijuana patients, the majority of the card-carrying dispensary users reside in the Denver area, according to CBS News. The average business paid approximately $11 million in fees and state taxes during the past two years. The Independent Colorado Legislative Council estimates that the pending recreational marijuana law would garner an additional $5 million to $22 million in revenue in the state.