When the Colorado Amendment 64 passed allowing the use of
marijuana on November 6, 2012, I didn’t think much of it. I had never used it
before and it had never had much of an impact on my life before. When it did
pass however, the first thing I noticed was that my friends that did smoke
occasionally were much more open in talking about it. Sure, you needed a legal
medical marijuana card or at least a doctor’s recommendation, but that didn’t
seem to stop them from getting their hands on the controversial leafy green
anyway.
Over time, I noticed more and more out of state license
plates filling the roads of I-25. Legalizing marijuana had a great draw for the
people that didn’t have access to it, and it certainly showed with the amount
of tourists that not only visited for the high altitude skiing, but an altogether
different type of high.
Just recently my parents decided to sell their house where
my sister and I had spent our entire lives in. That 22 year old house was a
spacious thing built in the 70s that was surprisingly without asbestos. Located
in the vicinity of an elementary school and a high school, it was the perfect
place to raise us both. While taking the time to help my parents look for a
house, I couldn’t help but notice another effect of what the legalization of
marijuana had done.
Since it is legal now, some people have opted to move here.
While this is great for the sales of marijuana, it also drives up housing
prices. This includes anything from actual home to town homes and apartments as
well. I decided to ask one of my friends Kris what he personally experienced
since he was in the market for a new apartment. “I remember my rent used to be
$400 a month with just another roommate, and the location was close to my work.
Now I have to pay almost $750 and I’m nearly 45 minutes away from my job.” I
noticed a trend when my parents had finally found their house. In a new
neighborhood, far from any schools or parks this new house ran about $50,000.
This house has two floors, and a smaller back yard than their current house,
which is also two floors, and features a front and back yard with a comfortable
space in between each house that it doesn’t feel clustered. For something
almost $10,000 more than their current house, it really feels like they’re
buying less for more.
What do you guys think? How has the legalization of
marijuana affected your daily lives? Leave a comment below to let me know!
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