Patricia Calhoun's post listing ten things to expect when your state legalizes marijuana stirred a lot of conversation.
And it also inspired some of our readers to offer items of their own — some of them controversial.
Take the first take below, which some readers saw as equating legal cannabis sales with the rise in local meth and heroin use.
Here's the exchange.
Chase Merritt Graham writes:
Gentrification, a spike in homeless/disgusting dirty traveler kid/insufferable heady bro population, a resurgence in abundance of heavier harm-causing drugs, and a shit-load of money pumped into the local economy.
Ryan Marlow writes:
I'd take heroin over the bro brahs any day. I was in Rocky Mt National Park enjoying the sunset a few weeks ago and heard some asshole scream, "I love smoking weed!!!!"
Chase Merritt Graham writes:
Well that's a pretty ignorant thing to say. Though "bro brahs" are obnoxious, they're not responsible for the deaths of several of my close friends. Heroin is. Good on ya bub.
Steve Holmberg writes:
The increase in heroin use has zero correlation to legal weed! Look at heroin addiction rates in other states for evidence.....increased opiate addiction is due to over prescribing pharmaceutical pain killers then making them crush proof.
Chase Merritt Graham writes:
Man, I've lived in this city my whole life, and since legalization I've seen more meth and heroin on the streets than I ever have before. I'm not blaming the weed specifically, but the weed certainly has influenced the influx of people into the city. Undeniably, some of those people will bring damaging qualities with them. And yes, you're right. The pharmaceutical industry's push for over-prescription of opioid analgesics does have a correlation to addiction. Good job, A+