Posted on 12/26/2014 6:48:42 AM PST by Responsibility2nd
DENVER -- Chris Easterling was sick of relying on drug dealers in Minneapolis when he needed marijuana to help ease the pain of multiple sclerosis. They were flaky, often leaving the homeless man without the drug when he needed relief the most.
So he moved to Denver, where legal pot dispensaries are plentiful and accessible.
Easterling is among a growing number of homeless people who have recently come to Colorado seeking its legal marijuana, and who now remain in the state and occupy beds in shelters, according to service providers.
While no state agency records how many homeless people were drawn by legal weed, officials at homeless centers say the influx they are seeing is straining their ability to meet the needs of the increasing population.
"The older ones are coming for medical (marijuana), the younger ones are coming just because it's legal," said Brett Van Sickle, director of Denver's Salvation Army Crossroads Shelter, which has more than doubled its staff to accommodate the increase.
The shelter did an informal survey of the roughly 500 new out-of-towners who stayed there between July and September and found as many as 30 percent had relocated for pot, he said.
~snip~
Many of those staying in shelters come to Denver with big plans and find they can't make ends meet, said Tom Luehrs, executive director of capital city's Saint Francis Center.
The shelter has seen an increase from 730 people a day in 2013 to 780 people this year, and as many as 300 new faces a month. Not all of them are pot-smokers, Luehrs said, but many have said they were drawn to the state because of legal marijuana.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
Who could have seen THAT coming?
/sarc
Do liberals ever think ANYTHING through?
Denver Shelters: Legal Pot Sparking Influx of Homelessness
Homeless centers in Denver, Colorado, say the state’s decision to legalize pot has spawned an influx of homelessness that strained the state’s system, according to the Associated Press.
Officials say legalized marijuana is a magnet, attracting homeless from across the nation in search of legal weed.
The Denver Salvation Army Crossroads Shelter says that nearly one in three of their 500 out-of-town homeless visitors between July and September said they relocated to Colorado for legal marijuana.
more....
I thought Colorado had FREE dope?
It's not rocket science.
“hen he needed marijuana to help ease the pain of multiple sclerosis”
Ok why does the article talk about this guy with a medical condition; and then the overall article is about homeless people coming to CO because of pot being legal?
Total separate issues of someone with a medical condition coming there for it; and homeless people coming there for it.
Poorly written
Nice goin', Colorado.
How about free munchies?
The legal stuff is about triple the price of the cartel weed sold in every state in the union. It is like comparing craft beer to Coors or Budweiser.
Tell all the pot heads you know and homeless you see./.... That Colorado has free dope and free ObamaCare
Once they get their noses in ain't no way you're keeping the rest of the beast out.
Petty theft is way up.
Well, the EBT cards should take care of that.
After all, it’s from “Obama’s Stash”, it’s not like it’s our money...
Absolutely.
Medical marijuana is used as a smokescreen to delude the public into legalizing all aspects of pot, because marijuana is touted as some some of wonder drug that eases all your pains.
I’m trying to remember the name of the old hippie song with the line “Please come to Denver . . . “
And with open borders, imagine what will happen when pot is legal in all 50.
Face it. It’s another purple state they want to turn blue by overcrowding it with dependent libs.
Homeless people during a Rat administration??? Homelessness is only a problem during republican presidencies.
If illegal pot is so easy to get, then why?
Why would anyone pay 3 times the price for legal and taxed weed?
As I’ve said before - many times, legalizing marijuana is NOT going to make the WOD just disappear.
It’s only going to INCREASE the power of the State to regulate it.
Oh. And TAX it. Don’t forget them good ol’ taxes to collect.
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