Because of the numerous media reports and typical Hollywood hype many close observers would immediately place the city of Los Angeles as America’s cannabis capital. Or maybe they’d guess that ever-cannabis tolerant San Francisco must be it. Possibly, ‘Oaksterdam’?
But, they’d be wrong.
Based on the size of the populations and number of reported medical cannabis dispensaries by each city’s respective City Council, America’s cannabis capital is….drum roll please….
Los Angeles – 1,000 dispensaries for a population of 9,862,049 = 1 dispensary per 9,862 people
Denver – 198 dispensaries for a population of 598,707 = 1 dispensary per 3,023 people
always knew it was called Mile “High” for a reason, go Denver!
im from, the los angeles area but ill go with that. respect to Denver
Awesome. We need to expand the number of states with dispensaries, including Oregon’s I-28 bill. Check out info and videos about cannabis and hemp at CannabisTV.org
*insert obligatory “mile-high city” pun here*
Alcohol sales are down .
See ; ” five thirty eight Politics done right ; Beer no longer “……
In particular beer with revenues being slashed by a whopping 14% percent . Instead of telling you the TRUTH that Marijuana usage is increasing ar record levels they will tell you lies . They will say things like ” that’s because breweries are increasing their prices ” ( lies )or they will say ” there is now a shortage of hops ” . They will tell you everything but the ,
………………….TRUTH .
It seems like they love their lies .
Driving accidents are also decreasing & they will say this or that is the reason why but , what they WILL NOT tell you is the TRUTH . Marijuana , although i am not advocating nor have i ever advocated it’s use since some people can react differently to being under the influence , can actually make you a better driver by decreasing aggression levels .
Increasing Cannabis usage is also a factor in decreasing drunk driving use putting better drivers on the road . In other words Marijuana does not make you a ” drunk driver “.
Ever heard of someone ” driving under the influence of marijuana ” ?
WE all know what driving under the influence of Alcohol is . It is a danger to yourself and others .
So now we have decreasing violent crime rates , less drunk drivers on the road resulting in fewer accidents & fatalities . As a result of better drivers on the road insurance rates will utimately decrease putting more of that money into your pocket .Henceforth – Less lawsuits resulting in savings to insurance Companies .
What you will do with that extra money is buy things . This increases
productivity and manufacturing of goods which increases employment .
THE TRUTH DOCTOR has already told you that D.A.T. is the real force behing Marijuana prohibition and i told you these things in advance .
Jerry Droz THE TRUTH DOCTOR
man ive been telling everyone that denver was the pot capital for ever! they always said no way its cali bro! but i am right! hahahaha!
The great city of Denver…Im so proud to be born there.
Well, I’m sure this article was correct when it was written. However, the population probably grew to three times this overnight and tied with San Francisco afetr the publication of this article.
I can spell “after”..but my fingers didn’t get the memo.
Yea! way to go CO! born and raised with CO pride! we are leading the charge against this modern day prohibition. Legalize and regulate.
cool
yadadi!
Mile high stadium is named appropriately. My husband and I had already decided to head there for vacation to find some property to buy. I will not live in pain in Georgia for much longer. Good to hear we choose the correct place.Thanks Norml
Denver’s definitely up there but I still think Boston is number 1 if you were to base it per user. Hhaha. We’ve always been reserved about it but that’s been changing for a few years now. It’s ok to talk about it even at some of the financial firms. Fidelity Investments the long time number 1 private employer in the city, half those folks smoke trees.
go denver
First
Yeah Denver…meanwhile here in KY…people like me…just got a 3 year sentence for growing 7 plants and pos 3 ounces of gods given herb. Maybe i should have been a drunk driver and got my hand slapped. Maybe i should have been doing meth and got my hand slapped. God said if it was green and bared a seed it was good. Well maybe one day God can Tell that to my judge!
Mile High and proud of it! As NORML Board member and a graduate of DU ’70, I can attest to an enthusisum for things cannabis in Denver back then: in this case “your father’s marijuana” was hashish from the far corners of the globe smoked by the hit in dorm bathrooms with the hot shower running and a towel under the door. Now 40 years later, I find marijuana’s use to me as much medical as recreational and nationally, millions of my classmates are finding the same. Plus, of course, there are a zillion other patients of all ages. Well, Colorado’s voters and their pioneering entrepreneurs have given the people a real choice: prescription drugs or something natural, cannabis. A great model for the nation. Go Denver!
How MMJ patients are registered in each area?
That’s amazing. I’m planning to move to Denver next year, can’t wait.
brandon, sorry.. sf and oakland have been “leading the way” for years before CO got on board. (added by Mobile using Mippin)
I hate that they’re reducing the number of LA’s dispensaries. They need more of them, not less! =)
Alex #16: That crap only works on the World of Warcraft forums.
Hey, give DC a chance to catch up…
Now that they know this little factoid about Denver they will begin to attribute everything from reduced traffic accidents to reduced crime rate to marijuana! What they are forgetting is that it means that it has the most dispensaries does it not? I don’tthink it means that Denver has more weed dealers than any other city,lol, that would make for a definitely increased crime rate! All these comments I have seen about “le’s make a Mile High pun here”. Is that all this means to them is the opportunity for fodder for another joe? If that’s the case; stay home and keep your puns and comments to yourselfs you don’t help the cause. I hve itractable pain. My doctors at the VA have tried unuccessfully for years to get me to stop smoking. They have finally thrown their hands up in dispair knowing that their Morphine and Methadone don’t help me and that without weed I can’t get out of bed each day or even walk!!!! How would those jokesters like to be sentenced to life like that. I am a vibrant 58 year young woman with a lot of living left to do buthow am I supposed to do it if I can’t I need your help!!!!!! NOT YOUR JOKES OR PUNS!!
MAUREEN REIS
I wish the south were as tolerant and progressive… *sigh*. At this rate, the rest of the country will get medical weed, and South Carolina will still be arresting everybody (does the name Michael Phelps mean anything to you?)…
The Denver media made much of a dispensary robbery a week or so ago, raising concerns about dispensaries attracting crime and pondering the possibility of regulating proximity to schools. The same week, 14 banks were robbed.
Wow #16… Talk about a major fail…
I still think the fact that LA has 1000 of ’em is more impressive. Sure, percentage wise it may not be as much, but LA is so much larger and their laws are so lax, when I visited there last year there were people outside of ‘doctors offices’ handing out cards and trying to get people to come in and get their medical cards (3 doctors and 4-5 dispensaries in about a 2 mile walk along the beach)
Plus which area is gonna have legalization on the ballot next year?
Wish that picture showed the Rocky Mountains, but whatever. Denver rocks.
Denver is becoming more civilized.
That is great. (And a surprise to me) I plan to take a vacation to the first place to totally legalize it and sell it to all adults. I would move to this place, but I need to be here in Oregon for when we get to vote on this issue in November. Woo hoo!!!
really!? ok because i live in the bay area, san jose to be exact. i have to say Oakland is ground zero for all things cannabis, but the the bay area by FAR is the cannabis capitol of america! we grow the BEST BUD IN AMERICA out here in Nor Cal, Oakland has the first CANNABIS COLLEGE in Oaksterdam university. Paul Armentano is a San Fran resident (the man who put marijuana legalization ON THE BALLOT FOR 2010 in California) Ed Rosenthal is a Oakland resident. We have Cannabis Cups in Oaksterdam.
Just because the ratio of people to dispensaries is lower in denver doesnt mean anything really…we are up to our heads in bud out here. Check this out! go to the SF Bay Area Craigslist and serch “prop 215” (thats the medical mary bill passed in 96′ in cali). yes, you can buy weed on craigslist!
nbot only that but “joe” just used bay area slang!!
i understand that colorado is No2 in this cannabis movement after Cali, but to say Denver is the Cannabis capitol just because of population is ridiculous. take ACTUAL PATIENTS/Dispensaries, and i think you would find LA probably has that stat covered. as far as being “Cannabis Capitol”, CO has nothing on CA
haha ok so after some research you can get bud on craigslist in Denver. I stand corrected.
One collective for every 2,727 people in Redding. We have over 33 dispensaries with a population of approx. 90,000 you do the math.
Denver has changed alot since the 80’s when the Denver court locked me up 10 days and a hefty fine for possession of a cannabis pipe.
Yay! Im moving to CO in 2011! Illinois is too far behind. Mark Kirk is the devil here in IL who is pushing the insanity of 20 years prison for pot that is above 15% THC.
We need to start physically removing these pro-prohibitionists from office if marijuana is not legal in the next 5 years!
This is our country and I am ready to start taking it back!
damn, i knew it wouldn’t be flo-town…if only we had some dispensaries here! and if only they knew how many partake in texas!
Can someone please direct me to the state ( Colorado )( New Mexico ) website that discribes the state position for posession of personal amounts of MJ? What are the requirements to grow and open your own dispensary? Also what kind of approved MJ medical card is available and the approved medical conditions that allows MJ as a medical treatment? Finally does the VA support and endorse the use of MJ and will they prescribe it??
[Editor’s note: State law information found here. America’s medical cannabis laws and state programs/requirements found here. The Veteran’s Administration, a federal bureaucracy, does not yet support medical access to cannabis.]
Sorry , i hate to disappoint you but , Arcata , Cali. has already been given the Title of ” Pot City U.S.A. ” a month or two ago .
Residents of the Colorado ski town of Breckenridge overwhelmingly voted to legalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana Tuesday. The measure passed with 73% of the vote.
Breckenridge, Colorado
That means as of January 1, people in Breckenridge can legally possess up to an ounce of marijuana under local ordinance. The measure also legalizes the possession of marijuana paraphernalia.
“This votes demonstrates that Breckenridge citizens overwhelmingly believe that adults should not be punished for making the safer choice to use marijuana instead of alcohol,” said Sean McAllister, Breckenridge attorney and chair of Sensible Breckenridge, a local project of the statewide marijuana law reform group Sensible Colorado.
“As state and national focus grows on this important issue, the popular ski town of Breckenridge has taken center stage on marijuana reform — and not just for medical purposes,” said Brian Vicente of Sensible Colorado. “With this historic vote, Breckenridge has emerged as a national leader in sensible drug policy.”
The campaign, which had no formal opposition, received a chorus of local support including endorsements from Breckenridge Town Councilman Jeffrey Bergeron, former Colorado State Representative and Breckenridge resident, Gary Lindstrom, and the Summit Daily News.
Measure 2F was placed on the ballot when over 1,400 local supporters signed a petition supporting the reform measure.
Under Colorado state law, possession of up to an ounce is decriminalized and punishable by a $100 fine. But Breckenridge police will “still have the ability to exercise discretion,” said Chief Rick Holman. “It’s never been something that we’ve spent a lot of time on, so I don’t expect this to be a big change in how we really do business,” he told the Summit Daily News.
Breckenridge residents had voted for Amendment 44, a statewide legalization initiative, by the same percentage in 2006. That initiative won only 41% of the vote statewide.
Denver became the first city to vote to legalize marijuana possession under municipal ordinance in 2005.
WHAT!?! If this based on the sheer # of despensaries then ok I guess. But we are still in the infancy of movement of Cannabis reform, & Hemp utilization. As far as a captial for Cannabis, progression, information, history, etc… should also be considered.
Ok, I am from Cali, but I wouldn’t consider Los Angles either as a captial. I would have to say San Francisco for the establishment of Prop. 215 (back in “96”) or Oakland for the refinement of the law & culture of the movement. As far as inclusion of all the states in the movement, catagories like “state with the most progressive laws set for year…” or “state with most new despensaries established in year…, would get more of us proactively involed in communitcations with our lawmakers. I congratulate the “Mile High” State for being so ambitious & progressive, but then, where will the capital be next year? Consistancy is key to our movement.
Looks like I’m moving to Denver. Because I want my child to be proud of where they will come from…….
#25 – Maureen Reis: Agree with you however, it happens all the time here. Don’t take it personally, just ignore their comments.
And I really don’t care where Americas Cannabis Capitol is, what I do care about is that the 70 plus years of lies are exposed and ended soon.
Mankind has evolved so darn slowly …….
We take this designation with great acceptance and with heavy responsibilities. We know we have to set an example for the rest of the Nation to follow. Cali set the tee up for us and now we have to be the ones to make that drive down the fairway to legalization and responsible laws. We started it all in Colorado with the first arrest for marijuana. And I hope we are ready soon to be the first to stop arresting for marijuana.
Mile High. The force is strong with us.
The truth will bear itself out. Nothing more to say than that.
Hey Emroy make sure Kirk doesn’t make it to the senate would ya :).
Course Denver is the #1 spot for weed. Just ask Carmelo Anthony…
My wife and I are moving to the Denver area in the next two years. I can’t wait!
Buh bye, Midwest!
I drank in Denver and almost got shot by a cop, but never blazed up there. I like the stadium.
This is more excitement than I can take. To #25 imagine going into your local dispensary and buying the exact compound for your needs. We will see this day sooner than you think. We know more about the complex compounds found in cannabis than ever before. We have a much greater understanding of how it enters our brain and what effect it has. It won’t be long before the exact compound you need will be defined and extracted,purified and administered in the most healthful way possible. This is all do to all of the people in this country that are standing up to our government and demanding the truth about cannabis and industrial hemp. I sincerely hope you find the relief that you deserve.
Wow, you can have better healthcare in Denver! I can’t believe some folks are trying their darndest
to deny patients their rights. Oh well, the numbers say it all…..Facts overcome Lies…….:)-
Where is the cannabis coming from in Denver? How much are they paying for it? Is it more or less than it is in states with fewer dispensaries?
If they wanted to tell us something interesting, they would tell us what the price ranges in the dispensaries are. For example, are the price ranges all the same in Denver? If so, why? Shouldn’t the open market be determining prices? Do you pay any more or any less than what you pay on the street? Of all the legal dispensaries in the US, who has the lowest prices? Why?
Judge Gray said he’ll be debating L.A. County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley on various marijuana issues Jan. 19 at the California Club. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/12/legalize-marijuana.html
makes me want to get the h*ll out of texas
Google trends confirms it! Look at the city list.
http://www.google.com/trends?q=marijuana
“Scale is based on the average worldwide traffic of marijuana in all years.” lol
What a great debate and very interesting see the amount of pride people feel to be named Cannabis Capital of USA. Recently I published an article about how legal marijuana could make positive changes for New Orleans (see: http://www.reefersmoke.com/2009/12/new-orleans-as-marijuana-mecca.html ) and I seriously hope that this idea get’s some legs because it makes such perfect sense.
New Orleans as a Marijuana Mecca it’s a genius idea!
Wow, I always thought L.A. would be more per capita. I guess 1,000 dispensaries isn’t that much when you do the math. Just makes you realize how much the media hype plays into your perceptions.
sweet i happen to be moving there monday
This is a medi pot survey and has nothing to do with the most tokers,or most marijuana used. So the cannibis capitol is still unknown.
I would love to know the actual number of pot smokers in America,as I have long said the government wouldn’t let us know if the majority of Americans use marijuana and polls and questionnaires asking about drug use are never answered truthfully.
For J and Oakland:
I agree that Oakland and northern California do grow good pot,but not any better than anywhere else,if the grower knows what they are doing. And another thing Ca leads in is the exorbitant prices for pot. One of the side effects of legalization will be the reduction in price,a very large reduction if they want to stop the black market.
if mn. dosen’t make mariajana legal foe the disabled this year. i will be selling everything i got and the the heck out of the frozen tundery.
Happy Holidays from The Real Potheads of North Hollywood!
Not to gripe, but those population numbers include all of the L.A. metro area, quite generously speaking, while the Denver numbers include only the bare-bones city of Denver. It’s more than a little misleading.
[Editor’s note: Misleading? The data is from the US census…Los Angeles and Denver.]
Wasn’t going to comment for the next two days so you guys could have your “holiday”, sigh … however let’s put it out there.
Your response to #37 NORML is what bothers me presently. “The Veteran’s Administration, a federal bureaucracy, does not yet support medical access to cannabis”.
Maybe because I’ve commented on it once or twice before and not received a response, or my ability to find the information is lagging, not sure.
This state by state success of medical MJ is wonderful, and it’s a good start, I guess, because I don’t know, don’t think anyone really knows if it’s a good start to a desirable end.
Our veterans and military members are missing out big time. And you may not like the military however, there are good people in the military too that want to be able to smoke, vaporize or eat cannabis but are unable to do so because of the Federal laws still in place.
All of the politicians really need to wake up and remove the sleep from their eyes, they need to take their blinders off and grow a set of b______.
Just a suggestion NORML, give your supporters a template of suggestions and ideas to put together letters, talking points, or whatever can be expressed in a way that government and police will understand so that those who are willing can continue to hammer away.
And the above would need to be updated and modified as the situation changes.
There is sooooo much information out there anymore on the benefits of cannabis that it’s almost a full time job to keep track of it all. I’m not asking you to do it for me NORML, I’m just asking that you help us, your grassroots members, stay ahead of the game and the important talking points.
Yes, there is some stuff in the book however, and in my mind only, it’s not enough to push this frakking legalize cannabis snowball over the top of the mountain so it can really start rolling downhill to gain greater momentum and end the slavery of Prohibition.
Hear you there #13 and #35 most likely South Carolina and Georgia will be the last two states that dont have medical marihuana …hell i still have my skiis im ready for a move… Merry Christmas everyone
there is a large number of them being robbed and burglarized ….its on the news almost nightly.
It’ll be interesting to see how it is handled.
Well everyone,Merry Christmas and a Happy new Year. Hopefully 2010 will be as productive,if not more so, in the Pro- Cannabis movement. May the jolly old elf fill his bowl with good bud and gift everyone with some of the same. Regulize
A little downer news. JOPLIN, Mo. – Some people won’t be getting the Christmas presents they were expecting. Missouri troopers seized about 20 pounds of marijuana from a car this week — some of it in luggage, and some in boxes wrapped as Christmas gifts.
The Highway Patrol says troopers found the marijuana in the car they stopped for speeding on Interstate 44 near Joplin.
Two California women in the car gave troopers permission to search the vehicle. Both were charged Tuesday with one marijuana-related count and released on $1,000 bond.
Well Denver i hope u welcome me cuz ima commin ,not to mention #60 i myself am thinking about that to sellin everything an going where its more acceptable .
Ok, I see what the deal is then. Los Angeles County is a huge county, encompassing not only LA but several of its suburbs. Denver County, on the other hand, is tiny and pretty much includes the city of Denver and nothing else… Either way, I’d take either one over where I live now!
i live like 2 hrs away from Denver this just made my day
I would like to put a special thanks out to all the people who had to suffer because of ignorant and medieval laws; I am eternally thankful to all the friends, brothers, sisters, fathers, and mothers who fought intolerance to preserve our natural human rights. I am thankful for all the Coloradoan’s: ganja heads and non-users alike that have supported and petitioned for our causes. WE SHALL OVERCOME.
In re: #63.
The VA not only does not support the medical use of marijuana, they will withdraw prescription pain killer if you show a urine dirty with MJ. You must take a urine test upon being prescribed narcotics and with any increase you request and is approved. They give you two dirty urines they they withhold the prescription.
This policy seem to have nothing to do with medicine but everything to do with some DEA program.
Does anybody know of any collaboration?
As a resident of colorado, I am be pleased with recent legislation in many colorado communities, however it is still not keeping law enforcement away. My son runs a dispensary in El Paso County CO. He was raided by DEA at the insistence of local authorities, was shut down and arrested. He now faces prosecution for cultivating, despite being a licensed caregiver in the state. He is facing Prison time for doing what the state said he is allowed to do, so my advice DONT’T BELIEVE YOU ARE IMMUNE FROM PROSECUTION IN COLORADO!!!!!!!!!
This Is Stupid. Denver only has 198 dispensaries, whereas Los Angeles has 1,000. It is only because of L.A’s bigger population that the “Dispensary per people ratio” is low… Los Angeles should clearly be the country’s cannabis capital
[Editor’s note: Um….your inability to grasp statistics underscores the notoriety of Denver overtaking a city like Los Angeles regarding the DENSITY of cannabis buyers clubs available for patients. Others have correctly pointed out that there are other, smaller cities beyond Los Angeles and Denver with higher per capita cannabis buyers clubs, i.e., Redding, CA.]
#72, yes, I’ve heard that and it absolutely pisses me off. In addition to the military and veterans, DoD employees fall under their ugly umbrella of oppression.
The DEA has far too much power and needs to be reminded that they’re not gods.
I disagree with this story and here’s why…
While Denver may have more dispensaries per ratio, it is also worth noting that many of the local governments, including those in the Denver metro area are trying to restrict patient rights and restrict the growth of the dispensary industry in the area. The story below is but one example.
http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_14068063
The problem in the state of Colorado is that while MM was approved by the voters you have many social conservatives who are positions of authority who abuse their power in attempt to nullify a law passed by the people of the state due to their own personal and moral objections. California doesn’t seem to have this.
For more info on what I’m talking about, please check out this website.
http://sensiblecolorado.org/
Oh great now we are going to get a whole lot more idiots in D-Town Super lame
id like to think the reef capitol is wherever im standing
Man what’s taking DC so dang long?
#63 … not true. In Centennial CO, a judge just overruled the city on their effort to close a dispensary down, by using Federal Laws. He ruled that our state laws on the legal use of Medicinal MJ, super ceded the Feds antiquated prohibition laws.
#62 … you’re correct, Denver propers’ population is less than half the Metro area combined.
#76, earl ….. you have been smoking too much !!! Colorado is as Liberal as California is now. That’s because these loony Californians keep moving here in droves. It wouldn’t be so bad, if they knew how to drive a damn car !!!!
Too all inquiring minds: Dispensary weed in Colorado is anywhere from $80 for a quarter oz, and up….the sky IS the limit here!
I live in Denver… and yes, it rocks!! 🙂
I am a medical marijuana patient in Colorado. Although I have used mj for 40 years, I use it legally now.It has finally come to fruition! We are professional working people who choose to medicate without the big pharma companies.Less dui,less violence, a heck of a lot less pain and boy is it beautiful!!!
#65:”A Denver Police Department analysis estimates that medical- marijuana dispensaries in the city were robbed or burglarized at a lower rate last year than either banks or liquor stores.
The analysis — contained in a memo authored by Division Chief Tracie Keesee for Denver City Council members — finds that the projected robbery and burglary rate for storefront dispensaries in 2009 was on par with that of pharmacies.
The projected 16.8 percent burglary and robbery rate for dispensaries is equal to that of pharmacies. It’s below the 19.7 percent rate of liquor stores and the 33.7 percent rate for banks, the analysis found.
Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/ci_14275637#ixzz0dqpcurjO
You have to remember your local news tells you about unusual incidents. A liquor store, or bank, or pharmacy
getting robbed is not unusual, hence no coverage, but a medical marijuana dispensary being robbed, that’s unusual,and makes headlines.
#81:Don’t know where you shop but I just got an eighth of AK-47 for $40 from a Fort Collins dispencery.
@ Hey !!! foco, do you know American math … I don’t know the new “Clinton math”, like you apparently do, but, I do know that an 1/8oz for $40, is the same as 1/4oz for $80 ??? DUMMY !!!
i live in Arvada, CO, get weed for free most the time.
ok it might have the most but the best bud comes from nor-cal
You all need to stop telling about the bad things you give the state government and counties, the wrong impression. Dont call cannibas GreenCrack this tells the people who make the rules and county laws that cannabis is like crack cocaine. Which is why we are getting a bad repor with people who dont use cannabis. Let us all be useing our brains and not stupidity. From Axe Savage of savagefarms4all420needs@gmail.com buyers reply to this email.
Denver is the new Amsterdam. amsterdenver.com
cops don’t even care about weed here in Denver and the metro area. I’ve been pulled over with a joint still burning in the ashtray and the cop just pretended not to see it haha. It was sick! The max penalty for possession under an oz is a $100 fine with $25 court fee. Nobody gives a shit about weed out here, I blaze. In my car all the time I don’t even hide it. If you like weed, come out here Cali is pretty sick it seems like its the same way out there. I walked down Hollywood and vine and I smelled dank everywhere!
Oh and by the way weed prices in the Denver area are as follows depending on source and potency: 1/2 8th: $10-15, 8th $25-35, quarter $50-70, half oz $100-120, oz $180-210 ish and so on. Before weed laws were so lax an 8th was $50. I also agree wholeheartedly that Denver is the true cannabis capital over any California city simply because the DEA and Feds have left Denver dispensaries alone for the most part, unlike California’s dispensaries. They know the voters here ( liberals and conservatives alike) want weed legal.