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Title: The Denver suburb of Aurora is using recreational marijuana sales tax revenue to help the homeless
Source:
CBS News
URL Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/legal-m ... -drawing-homeless-to-colorado/
Published: May 3, 2016
Author: Staff
Post Date: 2016-05-19 12:56:40 by Gatlin
Keywords: None
Views: 17382
Comments: 115
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. Shelters in some other parts of the state said they haven't noticed the problem or haven't surveyed their residents about it. Colorado's homeless population and its marijuana dispensaries are both concentrated in Denver, which could be why centers say they are experiencing a more noticeable rise. Other factors could be driving the rising homeless rates. Colorado's economy is thriving, but the number of affordable homes and apartments is shrinking. Julie Smith of Denver's Road Home, a city plan that aims to end homelessness, said the city's rising overall population could be a reason for an increase in the number homeless people. She said the agency has heard anecdotal reports about homeless people moving to the state for the marijuana, but officials don't have any numbers to support that assertion. The city is eager to see the results of a study by Metropolitan State University of Denver's Criminal Justice and Criminology Department of issues related to legal marijuana, including any correlation between legal marijuana and rates of homelessness. Assistant professor Rebecca Trammell said the researchers did interviews with shelter employees and volunteers after hearing anecdotes about the problem but have no preliminary findings. 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. Shelters in Washington state haven't experienced a noticeable influx since that state's legal recreational sales started in July. Capt. Dana Libby, Seattle Social Services director for the Salvation Army, said the economy is largely to blame for the high rates of homelessness there. In Colorado, some out-of-town homeless are seeking jobs in the marijuana industry. "There's an enormous migration, even a homeless movement, so to speak," David Spencer, a homeless man from Tennessee, told CBS Denver. "I figured this would be a good place to start over." But the homeless learn only after arriving that they lack the two-year residency requirement needed to work in a dispensary. Others have felony records that make them ineligible, Van Sickle said. Van Sickle's shelter prohibits weed and other drugs, which means those who stay there have to leave the property to smoke. Van Sickle said he has been confiscating more pot and paraphernalia, though he doesn't keep track of how much. Arnold Kelley got lucky. The 60-year-old retired plumber, tired of risking arrest for pot-smoking, moved from Memphis, Tennessee, and got a job fixing pipes at a Denver dispensary. The dispensary helped him get a license to use medical marijuana and paid him in pot for his work. He said pot improved his appetite and lessened his anxiety. "Once I got here, the industry was good to me," he said. But it didn't pay the bills, and Kelley finds himself staying often at Crossroads. The Denver area is seeing younger homeless people, too. Urban Peak, which provides services for those ages 15 to 25, says it saw 829 people between May and July at its drop-in center, up from 328 during the same time period a year earlier. About a third of this year's newcomers cited legal weed as a factor in moving to Colorado, said Kim Easton, the director. Many of the older men, like Easterling, live exclusively on disability benefits and use them to buy pot, since there's nothing to stop someone from using welfare benefits to obtain cash to use at pot shops. "I'm staying here," he said, between puffs on an electronic smoking device filled with pot oil. "This is my home."
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#1. To: All (#0)
Corrected Title: Legal marijuana drawing homeless to Colorado
She said the agency has heard anecdotal reports about homeless people moving to the state for the marijuana, but officials don't have any numbers to support that assertion. [...] Shelters in Washington state haven't experienced a noticeable influx since that state's legal recreational sales started in July. That noted, homeless immigration is certainly a possible outcome for the first several states to legalize - but will grow less as more states do so. A government strong enough to impose your standards is strong enough to ban them. True.
The simple solution for hordes of the perpetual homeless coming in for all the free stuff and the legal drugs is to just bring back the vagrancy laws. Anyone hanging around with no job,no visable means of support, and no housing gets picked up for vagrancy after a set time,and automatically get free housing at a city detention center for 30 days at a stretch,where they spend their days cleaning up ditches,doing manual repairs to city and public buildings,cutting grass,etc,etc,etc to pay for their food and housing. At the end of 30 days they are dropped off on the other side of city limits and told if they come back the next time they will be manual laborers for 30 days. Within a few months homeless shelters will be shutting down due to lack of clients. Most of those people aren't homeless because they can't work,they are homeless because we as a nation have made it too easy for them to live without working,and they don't want to work. BOYCOTT PAYPAL AND CLOSE YOUR PP ACCOUNTS NOW! ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO DO SO,TOO! ISLAM MEANS SUBMISSION! Why is democracy held in such high esteem when it’s the enemy of the minority and makes all rights relative to the dictates of the majority? (Ron Paul,2012) American Indians had open borders. Look at how well that worked out for them.
Pete - America is a nanny state, now. The homeless can live off the fat of the land and suck off the teat of liberty and get free ANYTHING_NARCOTIC under 0bamaKare. And they can not be abused or cited for breaking the law.
All true,but that's not the way it is supposed to be. Nor should it be the way it is. BOYCOTT PAYPAL AND CLOSE YOUR PP ACCOUNTS NOW! ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO DO SO,TOO! ISLAM MEANS SUBMISSION! Why is democracy held in such high esteem when it’s the enemy of the minority and makes all rights relative to the dictates of the majority? (Ron Paul,2012) American Indians had open borders. Look at how well that worked out for them.
Tell me why a homeless scumbag would flock to marijuana? Why doesn't dope cause hard working capitalist types to flock? No house, no food... no ambition, no drive, no retirement, no car, no savings, no functional life... but damn it, they need their pot. No brains I'm the infidel... Allah warned you about. كافر المسلح
How much do you need? I have connections.
How much do you need? I have connections. You moved to Colorado? потому что Бог хочет это тот путь
Negative. A friend has terminal cancer. He visited his boyhood friend in New Mexico in April and they drove to Colorado. He bought and shipped what he wanted to where he needed it. I asked him about the post office workers and cops. He said Eff them - he's dying.
Clean up your language.
ESAD, tater.
Tell ya what. Bring me a few pounds. Bring it right to my doorstep... and I'll hook you up with an all inclusive resort vacation for a few years or until you kick the bucket (whatever comes first). Free meals, free laundry service... free library... even free TV. All you gotta pay for is your phone calls, postage and "store" supplies. Hopefully Bubba lets you bite your pillow when he goes in dry. I'm the infidel... Allah warned you about. كافر المسلح
Clean up on isle 6.
We all die sometime, libtard. We can't save everyone. No reason to break the law I'm the infidel... Allah warned you about. كافر المسلح
Ethel dealing in pot now to support her gambling addiction now ... no surprise.
Paultards breaking the law is nothing new...is it?
Why don't you two homosexual, law abiding citizens, go get a room.
They are like that asshole neighbor that lets his dog shit in your yard. They don't give a shit about anyone but themselves. I'm the infidel... Allah warned you about. كافر المسلح
You need to ESAD, Ethel.
Why don't you step on your oxygen hose and die already.
I'm the infidel... Allah warned you about. كافر المسلح
Aren't we all? потому что Бог хочет это тот путь
Liberals and Paultards are the most important people they know. I'm the infidel... Allah warned you about. كافر المسلح
Liberals and Paultards are the most important people they know. They?????? потому что Бог хочет это тот путь
You don't know any recreational pot smokers? At my local watering hole they call it a safety meeting - that means they go outside for 5 or ten minutes and toke up. Personally, I don't do the stuff, but I don't condemn those that do.
Lardasss, I'd like to grab your wind pipe and jerk it out of your fat neck.
I know lots of potheads. Most are sitting in a cell for robbery, burglary, larceny and homicides. Most were jobless. All are a drain on society.
I'm the infidel... Allah warned you about. كافر المسلح
You'd die trying, grandpa. I'm not so proud that I wouldn't beat the wrinkles out of you... just for shits and giggles.
I'm the infidel... Allah warned you about. كافر المسلح
Anymore ... you forgot to say. You are living proof that brain damage the use causes is permanent.
I am not aware that I do. Personally I think that, save for legitimate medical reasons, toking up is BS. I am over 70 and neither my wife nor I have ever used weed or any other recreational drug. We have had a very rich, rewarding, and fulfilling life to date without that sh*t. I saw what drugs did to the heavy weight musicians I used to hang around with when I was a teenager and decided at a very young age that even with all of their talent they were a said and wasted life. потому что Бог хочет это тот путь
You make up stories like my friend with Tourettes Syndrome. Every pothead I know works for a living. A few are retired with Purple Hearts from Vietnam.
That's because you are smarter than a Paultard Deckard. Excellent. I'm the infidel... Allah warned you about. كافر المسلح
Excellent. The government has no role in abusing POWER due to medical use for any narcotic.
I don't make up shit, grandpa. I work in a Maximim security prison. Every pothead in there is a jobless turd. Thousands of them.
I'm the infidel... Allah warned you about. كافر المسلح
You'd be surprised. I didn't know they did what they did when I was strait laced. When I loosened up, and they trusted me I learned about reality. It doesn't bother me at all and I don't think any less of them. FireIsland acts so sanctimonious...it makes me ill.
Why don't you get a real job? Get out and see the real world. No wonder you're so bitter.
You might wanna check your states laws and review USSC case law, Sonny. I think you're hitting the glass pipe again. I'm the infidel... Allah warned you about. كافر المسلح
So why are you playing RAMBO in your mother's basement with tens of thousands of primers when you can be assured that the nice constaple on patrol will save your worthless ass when the SHTF? You make no sense.
Why don't you get a real job? Get out and see the real world. No wonder you're so bitter. It's a second pension job... and im a pro at dealing with shitbirds. I'm the infidel... Allah warned you about. كافر المسلح
That's because you're a drug addled hippie libtard tool bag. Sober up. I'm the infidel... Allah warned you about. كافر المسلح
Comments (41 - 115) not displayed.
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#2. To: Gatlin (#0)
Julie Smith of Denver's Road Home, a city plan that aims to end homelessness, said the city's rising overall population could be a reason for an increase in the number homeless people.
#3. To: ConservingFreedom (#2)
#4. To: Gatlin (#0)
#5. To: sneakypete (#4)
#6. To: buckeroo (#5)
Pete - America is a nanny state, now. The homeless can live off the fat of the land and suck off the teat of liberty and get free ANYTHING_NARCOTIC under 0bamaKare. And they can not be abused or cited for breaking the law.
#7. To: ConservingFreedom (#2)
#8. To: GrandIsland (#7)
but damn it, they need their pot.
#9. To: Fred Mertz (#8)
but damn it, they need their pot.
#10. To: SOSO (#9)
#11. To: Fred Mertz, GrandIsland (#10)
Eff them
#12. To: Gatlin (#11)
#13. To: Fred Mertz (#8)
#14. To: Ethel Mertz (#12)
#15. To: Fred Mertz (#10)
He said Eff them - he's dying.
#16. To: GrandIsland, Ether Mertz (#13)
#17. To: GrandIsland (#15)
No reason to break the law
#18. To: Gatlin, FireIsland (#17)
#19. To: Gatlin (#17)
Paultards breaking the law is nothing new...is it?
#20. To: Fred Mertz (#18)
#21. To: Fred Mertz (#18)
#22. To: Fred Mertz (#10)
He said Eff them - he's dying.
#23. To: SOSO (#22)
Aren't we all?
#24. To: GrandIsland (#23)
Aren't we all?
#25. To: SOSO (#22)
#26. To: GrandIsland (#21)
Why don't you step on your oxygen hose and die already.
#27. To: Fred Mertz (#25)
(Edited)
#28. To: Fred Mertz (#26)
#29. To: Fred Mertz (#25)
Personally, I don't do the stuff,
#30. To: Fred Mertz (#25)
You don't know any recreational pot smokers?
#31. To: GrandIsland (#27)
Most were jobless.
#32. To: SOSO (#30)
am not aware that I do. Personally I think that, save for legitimate medical reasons, toking up is BS. I am over 70 and neither my wife nor I have ever used weed or any other recreational drug. We have had a very rich, rewarding, and fulfilling life to date without that sh*t. I saw what drugs did to the heavy weight musicians I used to hang around with when I was a teenager and decided at a very young age that even with all of their talent they were a said and wasted life.
#33. To: SOSO (#30)
... save for legitimate medical reasons ...
#34. To: Fred Mertz (#31)
#35. To: SOSO (#30)
I am not aware that I do.
#36. To: GrandIsland (#34)
I work in a Maximim security prison.
#37. To: buckeroo (#33)
Excellent. The government has no role in abusing POWER due to medical use for any narcotic.
#38. To: GrandIsland (#34)
I don't make up shit ...
#39. To: Fred Mertz (#36)
#40. To: buckeroo (#38)
You make no sense.
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