Local governments now have a choice before them: allow retail marijuana centers in their communities and benefit from the safeguards and tax revenue that come with regulation, or prohibit them and give space for the criminal black market that has thrived in Colorado for years to survive. Groups such as “SMART Colorado” are throwing their lot behind the latter, and the people of Colorado should be warned.

The truth is, opting out of retail stores is really opting in to a dangerous and unregulated market, where marijuana is sold without the robust controls and safety standards carefully crafted in the new state law. To forgo establishing retail stores would be a lost opportunity for local governments to gain significant revenue and create jobs, and if national polls are any indication, such a decision would place these communities on the wrong side of history.

Our community deserves safe access to marijuana, the tax revenue it provides and the end to the racist, failed and expensive war on marijuana we voted to end. Prohibition didn’t work with alcohol, and it won’t work with marijuana. Amendment 64 should be fully implemented.

Danny Loy

Durango