Followers of Christ in Colorado Springs Must Oppose Question 300
On the ballot in Colorado Springs this year are Questions 300 and 301. Question 300 would repeal Colorado Springs’ 2013 ban on recreational pot sales. Our city’s one hundred and fourteen existing medical marijuana dispensaries could apply for recreational sale licenses. Question 301 would impose a new 5 percent sales tax on recreational marijuana (cannabis).
The Colorado Springs City Council argues that “the legalization of marijuana is destroying the health and social fabric of Colorado.” The council also points out that recreational cannabis leads to an increase in traffic fatalities, public health services, black market operations, and underage marijuana use.
Council Member Dave Donelson believes the legalization of retail cannabis will jeopardize Colorado Springs’ reputation as a desirable place to live and damage the local tourism industry and economy. Proponents of recreational marijuana point to the tax benefits, but Donelson argues, “In 2020 marijuana tax revenue made up less than one percent of State of Colorado’s Budget” and “the cost to our Public Safety departments of enforcement could exceed the revenue collected.”
Of Question 300, Mayor John Suthers says, “I have been opposed to recreational marijuana since 2012. I was one of those lone voices who said that this is not going to be good for Colorado, and nothing that’s happened in the last ten years has given me any indication I was wrong. It lowers the quality of life. Look at what it’s done to Denver. It’s no longer the city that it once was.”
As believers our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19-20), and we should not pollute God’s temple with damaging substances such as recreational cannabis. Believers should also care about the flourishing of our community and the well-being of our neighbors (Jer. 29:7, Matt. 22:37-39).
It’s easy to see that the legalization of recreational cannabis has been bad for our state and our community and its citizens. Studies have found that 9 percent of those who experiment with cannabis will become addicted. If you start as a teenager, the percentage of those who become addicted increases to 17 percent, and as many as 50 percent of those who use marijuana daily will become addicted. Marijuana use is correlated with increasing psychotic disorders and creating or worsening many mental health problems, including anxiety, depression, psychosis, and suicidal ideation. There is also a correlation between the legalization of recreational marijuana and overall illegal drug trafficking and usage.
As followers of Christ in Colorado Springs we must oppose Question 300.
Pastor Todd Hudnall
Resources
https://www.cpr.org/2022/10/21/vg-2022-question-300-colorado-springs-recreational-cannabis/
https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/marijuana-addictive
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/christians-oppose-marijuana-legalization/
Written by Todd Hudnall
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