Gov. John Hickenlooper isn’t convinced the number of stoned drivers will jump even though the state has legalized marijuana.
That’s giving him pause about whether to increase the $3 million he's targeted for law enforcement from marijuana sales taxes. Some chiefs of police say they need more than that. But the governor says when he’s in front of a group of adults he often does a quick poll and hasn’t found many people who have started using marijuana only in the past few months.
"I don’t think at least on the surface of what we’re seeing that there are a lot of new people smoking marijuana," he said. "If that’s true then we shouldn’t see any increases in driving while high or these other issues. It should be pretty much what it’s always been."
He adds the state will conduct polling this summer to get a better picture of whether marijuana use is rising.
He also says he’s not adjusting his projected revenue from marijuana sales taxes after January numbers were lower than expected. He says the industry is just ramping up.
