Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper (Cyrus McCrimmon, The Denver Post )

Pot industry execs grade Colorado governor on his handling of legal weed

How has Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper handled the implementation of legal weed?

Everyone has an opinion — including Wana Edibles owner Nancy Whiteman and “Big Weed” author Christian Hageseth, who also owns the Green Man Cannabis stores in Colorado. The two pot industry entrepreneurs joined me on The Cannabist Show to talk about Hickenlooper’s recent comments that recreational marijuana in Colorado hasn’t been “as vexing” as he once thought it would be.

So what grades would Hickenlooper get from these cannabis business owners?

“I would have given him maybe a C a year ago,” said Whiteman, “and now I’m moving up. He seems to be embracing (legal marijuana) more.”

Added Hageseth: “Politicians have political capital, and they only have so much, and they have to be careful how they spend it. The truth is, marijuana is a high-cost political capital issue, and if he were to step out really in favor of this there are a lot of folks he would alienate — and it would make the rest of his agenda difficult.”

Watch the full interview above.

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