Vote no on marijuana

To the editor:

I grew up in Colorado. It was my home for 22 years and I love it dearly. It will always be my home.

However, when Colorado legalized marijuana, something changed. Colorado became a tourist hotspot for a new kind of Rocky Mountain High. Residents are now losing credibility on a national level with the new stereotype of being a pot smoker. Residents also face new troubles when traveling out of the state. Police in other states are pulling over cars with Colorado license plates, making up probable cause and searching their vehicles for marijuana.

Tourism is one of the top three producers of state income here in Alaska. Do we really want to generate a new tourist demographic based on marijuana? It will happen. Colorado is also being flooded with people becoming residents solely so they can use pot whenever they desire (within the walls of their home). Do you really want to be profiled when driving out of state? Border crossings into Canada sure aren’t going to get any easier for Alaskans. Do you want to lose credibility on a national level and join Colorado and Washington as the jokes of the nation for being “pot heads”? Alaska, do yourself a huge favor and vote ‘no’ on 2.

Humbly, a Coloradan-turned-Alaskan.

Tyler Ray

Palmer