OUR VIEW: MEDICAL MARIJUANA SERIES AIMS TO EDUCATE

Today through Friday, you'll find a three-part series about medical
marijuana in the Steamboat Today. The series, "Growing Pains," is an
examination of the explosion of the industry in the state and Routt
County, as well as Colorado lawmakers' attempt to manage it.

We tackled this issue not only because of its high reader interest but
also because Colorado has become a leader nationwide in medical
marijuana. Other states are calling up officials here to talk about
steps they can take after voters approve the drug for medicinal purposes.

It's unclear exactly how many medical marijuana cardholders there are
in Routt County. The number certainly is growing, however, and the
number of users has reached an estimated 113,000 statewide. This issue
isn't going away, and it's important for all of us to be informed.

Voters approved a very basic amendment in 2000: They legalized medical
marijuana for people who have certain medical conditions and a
recommendation from a doctor. But the industry really exploded only
last year, after President Barack Obama's administration said it would
not use federal resources to prosecute people who were following their
state's medical marijuana laws. That's when dispensaries started
appearing in Routt County.

State lawmakers hustled to get regulations on the books to dictate how
the industry would operate. Many dispensary owners welcomed the new
rules -- in principle, at least -- because they sought legitimacy for
their businesses. Those regulations helped, but additional steps will
be necessary to keep the industry above board.

It's also important to remember that voters approved marijuana
ostensibly to be used for medicinal reasons, and the framework of the
law should prevent the blurring of those lines. It's possible that
some of those voters saw medical marijuana as the first step toward
total legalization of the drug. Regardless of whether that's true, the
current letter of the law allows use only for medical purposes. As
Colorado Attorney General John Suthers told us, "Anybody who doesn't
think there's abuse going on has to be pretty naA/ve."

But as we examine the issue as communities (Steamboat Springs, Routt
County and Oak Creek have allowed dispensaries, and Hayden has chosen
not to), it behooves us also to look at the big picture. We have made
decisions about which drugs are considered acceptable, keeping alcohol
and many pharmaceuticals legal while criminalizing marijuana and other
substances. What are the societal costs of criminalizing marijuana
versus the societal costs of legalizing it? And if we did legalize and
regulate it as a nation, would that do anything to end the brutal drug
wars and murders happening in Mexico and along our southern border?
Would we be more safe or less safe?

Could we legalize marijuana, tax it and improve the state's fiscal
position? Many cities already are seeing a significant impact with
sales tax collections from medical marijuana, and those dispensaries
- -- now called centers -- and grow operations certainly are providing
jobs. In Steamboat, Rocky Mountain Remedies serves 1,000 regular
patients a month, is expected to employ 20 full-time workers by this
month and is among the 36 largest in the state based on number of patients.

"Growing Pains" addresses the rapid growth and changes specifically in
Colorado and provides a snapshot of the larger national response to
medical marijuana. We hope it helps the community understand the
emerging issue and its importance, and we hope you find the story as
interesting as we do.