What’s really behind Colorado’s green mask?

Behind Ag’s Green Mask July 24, 2017


Wow. That’s all I can say about our recent Colorado trip. We got up close and personal to this state’s lucrative destructive new agriculture venture. It seems everyone and their dog, I mean this literally- about the dog- it appears to participate you must own a pit bull or Heinz 57 and house them in your motel room or car.
We pulled into Trinidad, checked room prices and decided to save $120 by-passing the Holiday Inn opting for an older 60’s style, which appeared from the outside to pass inspection: an elderly well-dressed lady with a…dog, sitting on a bench, We drove to our corner room passing #7- dog on leash; #8- two yapping dogs not on leashes; #9 pit bull on leash with yapping part wiener dog not on leash; #10- Brad unlocks it and I step in. “Bad decision” is all I’ll share. We go to sleep to loud rap music and wake to loud rap music. Next morning I go outside take a seat on the bench and begin writing. I try to concentrate while I listen as two men negotiate a weed deal like they were swapping baseball cards.
We drive on to our favorite spot in the world a quiet little hot springs we’ve been visiting for nearly 20 years, always clean and smoke free. This year’s greeting- “cannabis, tobacco friendly and clothing optional on Wednesday in the north pool”. One of the soakers shares his love of gardening (it wasn’t Wednesday) I’m thinking tomatoes, he says weed...”it’s too easy and lucrative”, he went on to share his love for communicating with his plants and his desire to only hang out with his…yes…dog.
We arrive in Fort Morgan for our meeting visiting with fellow cattlemen, all Coloradoans. They share concerns of many people living in cars in the national forest which adjoin their ranches, stories of upstanding business men losing their businesses and the fact that police are underfunded because they can’t keep up with the crime.
Weed…lucrative maybe but I’m concerned Colorado’s going to pot.