LET COUNCIL KNOW: POT SHOPS HURT COMMUNITY

Team Fort Collins is a nonprofit organization, and we are in the
business of preventing substance use among youth in our community. As
with any approach to prevention, we focus our efforts on the risk and
protective factors that exist for our target population.

There are two risk factors that are particularly relevant to the issue
of medical marijuana dispensaries in Fort Collins. They are perception
of harm and availability of the substance.

The perception of harm refers to the perceived risk associated with
marijuana use. The very term "medical" lends the perception that this
is a substance with healing properties when in fact the evidence for
such is negligible. While I am not here to argue semantics, that our
city has endorsed medical marijuana dispensaries sends a clear message
to our youth about the not-so-harmful effects of marijuana.

Availability refers to how easy it is to access the substance. With
the legalization of dispensaries, access has increased
dramatically.

Anecdotally, the youths in this city tell us that they do not perceive
risk in using marijuana and that it is easy to obtain - either legally
with a medical recommendation or illegally through friends and
acquaintances. At Team Fort Collins, it is my job to collect and
process data about youth use rates and risk factors such as these. The
data corroborate these anecdotes; marijuana is the only substance for
which use among youth is on an upward trajectory.

We were disappointed when it was originally decided to allow medical
dispensaries in Fort Collins. What we feared for our youth at that
time has become a reality. Despite our disappointment, we were
encouraged by the care taken by City Council to minimize the risk
associated with these businesses by identifying important provisions
for their location.

Council members' attention to the issue was thoughtful and time well
spent, but it was all for naught when they decided to make a motion to
grandfather in 21 dispensaries bringing the total number of medical
marijuana dispensaries in Fort Collins to 23, making 91 percent of the
dispensaries not in compliance with the location provisions.

Fortunately, the topic is still up for discussion. Make no mistake,
though, City Council is strongly inclined to keep these dispensaries
in business; there is just one dissenting member. If you have an issue
with medical marijuana dispensaries, your voice needs to be heard.

Those in favor are showing up to City Council meetings in droves.
While they speak of the wonderful service they provide this community,
their professionalism and their "help" in cutting into the drug
cartel's market, the truth is this is big business and they have a lot
to lose - hundreds of thousands of dollars, monthly.

None of our neighboring communities is allowing this. Why are we?