The principal motivations to offer support for this change in the law were: increasing the state revenue, giving safety regulations for the protection of users, enhancing individual freedom, eliminating the black market, providing a way for studying the effects of legalization to be compared with the effects of the policy of prohibition. It is a hope that this will reduce at the same time marijuana usage by teens.
The largest survey for the amendment was conducted in October 2012 by Public Policy Polling. The result indicated 53 percent of voters to say “yes” and 46 percent to say “no”. After a month, this changed to to 53 versus 38 percent.
On January 1, 2014, dozens of people were waiting to purchase marijuana in Colorado shops.
A similar measure passed last year in the Washington state, but the shops will be ready to open later this year.
