Alaska & Oregon Legalize Recreational Marijuana

Heli trips to Alaska will never be the same…

Oregon is the land of many great ski resorts, including the Open-10-Months-A-Year Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood.  They’re know for lots of snow.

Alaska is the land of the best skiing on Earth.

Just this week, Oregon and Alaska became the 3rd and 4th states in the USA to legalize marijuana for recreational use.  Colorado and Washington have show thus far to have benefited from legal marijuana sales.

In Oregon, the law legalizes personal possession, manufacture and sale of marijuana for people 21 years of age and older. Mimicking similar plans in Washington State and Colorado, the Oregon law will also create a commercial regulatory system for the production, distribution and sale of marijuana.

Alaska’s law is similar to Oregon and would tax and regulate the production, sale and use of marijuana, making the use legal for people over 21 years old.  – CNN.com

Colorado had record skier visits last year – 12.6 million – its first year of legal recreational marijuana.  Colorado also had two very significant things happen after Marijuana was legalized:

#1 – Legal Marijuana in Colorado Has Turned Out To Be Even More Profitable Than Forecasted:

– In March 2014 alone, legal marijuana in Colorado pulled in $19 million in taxes.  In February, they made $14 million in taxes from legal marijuana.  

– Colorado governor, John Hickenlooper, stated in his latest budget proposal that he expects legal marijuana sales in Colorado to exceed $1 billion in the next fiscal year.

– Sales from recreational marijuana shops are expected to hit $600 million, which is more than a 50% increase above what was originally expected.

 #2 = Crime Rates in Denver, CO Have Dropped Dramatically

– Murder rates in the Denver city and county have dropped 53% since recreational marijuana was legalized in January 2014 compared to the same time last year:  January 1st through April 30th.

– Marijuana related arrests in Colorado usually make up 50% of all drug related crimes.  Marijuana related crimes have dropped dramatically allowing police to focus on other crimes.  

– Removing marijuana penalties has already saved Colorado somewhere between $12 and $40 million in 2012 alone according to the Colorado Center on Law and Policy.

Will Oregon and Alaska reap the same benefits as Colorado after legalizing Marijuana?  Maybe…  Just maybe…

Most certainly both states will see skier visits rise.  Colorado has their most skier visits on record last year – 12.6 million.

The real question is will OR and AK’s ski cultures and ski experiences change?  We don’t think so.  We think they’ll stay just a great as they’ve always been albeit, maybe even a touch more relaxed now.