Colorado Tax Enforcer Tells ’60 Minutes’: Weed Beat the Recession in Denver

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/drugs/colorado-tax-enforcer-tells-60-minutes-weed-beat-recession-denver



In a 13-minute segment broadcast Sunday night, CBS’s “60 Minutes” explored Colorado’s budding medical marijuana industry, and heard from a former drug cop turned tax enforcer who insisted that the industry has helped Denver beat the recession.

That runs contrary to President Barack Obama’s logic: he said in 2010 that legalizing marijuana is not “a good strategy to grow our economy.”

But the economic impact on Denver? According to Matt Cook , a former narcotics officer who oversees enforcement at the Colorado Department of Revenue, “it’s huge.”

“Look at all the electrical contractors, HVAC contractors,” he said. “The number of ancillary businesses — it’s huge. Tax revenues exceeded, I believe the last number I heard was an excess of $20 million.”

[aquart]

1. Yup. Lotta gro-lites. Lotta wiring.

Obama has always been wrong about this. Just doesn't wanna be called a hippie.