密歇根新闻广播 娱乐用大麻意味着农村地区的改变

In November, Michigan voters will decide if they want to legalize recreational marijuana.

Supporters say the industry that develops should be an economic boost for rural Michigan.

But legalization has been a mixed bag for rural parts of Colorado.

On a lonely prairie in southern Colorado, two acres of marijuana plants grow inside a pristine¹ greenhouse.

Sam Toman, chief of business development for Strawberry Fields, points to a row of marijuana plants at one of the cultivation² facilities he oversees³ in rural Pueblo⁴ County.

"We're doing really well," says Toman, though he admits: "We're in a rough market right now. But that will change. That is bound to happen."

Strawberry Fields is just one of dozens of cannabis businesses that have taken root in Pueblo County in recent years.

One local official likes to call the county the Napa Valley of Colorado's pot industry.

The growth in this largely rural community has been so robust⁵ that local officials have imposed a moratorium⁶ on new licenses⁷.

The growing marijuana industry is changing people's perception of Pueblo County. For many years, steel mills and agriculture – in particular green chiles – defined the county. But now the county is becoming synonymous with cannabis.

Rod Slyhoff is the CEO of the Greater Pueblo Chamber⁸ of Commerce.

Slyhoff says cannabis businesses are becoming a part of the local community. He says a half-dozen have even become members of the chamber of commerce.

However, despite rising business investment and jobs, Slyhoff says there are problems.

For example, he says people are more frequently failing local employers' drug tests.

"Not that it was easy before the legalization," Slyhoff concedes, "but it seems like it's more prevalent now."

And there are many Pueblo County residents who are not thrilled with the cannabis industry. In 2016, some residents and businesses tried, and failed, to repeal⁹ the county'sordinances permitting recreational marijuana cultivation and retail¹⁰ sales.

Paula McPheeters was part of the anti-marijuana ballot¹¹ campaign. She lives in Pueblo with her young children. She's a member of the group SMART Colorado, which campaigns torein in the state’s marijuana laws, focusing particularly on the potential effect on children.

McPheeters says the growing cannabis industry is changing her community, and not for the better.

"I never had an alarm system on my home. I have one now," says McPheeters.

Since legalization, the county has seen an increase in property crime and homelessness. There has also been an increase in seizures¹² of drugs like heroin¹³ and Amphetamines. And in the first six months of this year, Pueblo County sheriff's deputies busted¹⁴ more than 40 illegal grow operations.

To get better handle on how the retail marijuana industry was affecting the community, officials commissioned a wide-ranging study by the Colorado State University at Pueblo's Institute of Cannabis Research.

The report found in 2016 the marijuana industry generated an economic impact of $58 million.

"Yes, it is employing people. There are business owners that are taking profit," says CSU-Pueblo Prof. Mike Wakefield, an economic strategist. "But...that profit is being subsidized on the backs of taxpayers¹⁵."

By that, Wakefield means many of the tax dollars raised by the marijuana industry are being spent dealing¹⁶ with the county's rising crime and homeless problem. According to the report, the community spent a $23 million in 2016 on additional law enforcement andsocial service costs.

Wakefield admits he would like to have better data on crime and homelessness from before legalization.

Still, the report concludes legalizing recreational marijuana has been a net gain for Pueblo County.

Back at the greenhouse about 30 minutes south of the city of Pueblo, Strawberry Fields' Sam Tomin believes people in Pueblo County are becoming more accepting of the marijuana industry and see it as a positive.

"Yeah, the community's been really receptive. There's been a lot of jobs created by the industry," says Toman. "And the stigma¹⁷ of, like, 'This is drugs,' 'This is bad' has kind of gone away."

November 6, rural voters in Michigan will decide if the potential economic benefits from embracing recreational marijuana will be worth whatever changes their communities might see.

1 pristine   

adj.原来的，古时的，原始的，纯净的，无垢的

参考例句：

• He wiped his fingers on his pristine handkerchief.他用他那块洁净的手帕擦手指。
• He wasn't about to blemish that pristine record.他本不想去玷污那清白的过去。

2 cultivation   

n.耕作，培养，栽培（法），养成

参考例句：

• The cultivation in good taste is our main objective.培养高雅情趣是我们的主要目标。
• The land is not fertile enough to repay cultivation.这块土地不够肥沃，不值得耕种。

3 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网

4 pueblo   

n.（美国西南部或墨西哥等）印第安人的村庄

参考例句：

• For over 2,000 years,Pueblo peoples occupied a vast region of the south-western United States.在长达2，000多年的时间里，印第安人统治着现在美国西南部的大片土地。
• The cross memorializes the Spanish victims of the 1680 revolt,when the region's Pueblo Indians rose up in violent protest against their mistreatment and burned the cit

5 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

6 moratorium   

n.(行动、活动的)暂停(期)，延期偿付

参考例句：

• The government has called for a moratorium on weapons testing.政府已要求暂停武器试验。
• We recommended a moratorium on two particular kinds of experiments.我们建议暂禁两种特殊的实验。

7 licenses   

n.执照( license的名词复数 )v.批准，许可，颁发执照( license的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Drivers have ten days' grace to renew their licenses. 驾驶员更换执照有10天的宽限期。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Jewish firms couldn't get import or export licenses or raw materials. 犹太人的企业得不到进出口许可证或原料。 来自辞典例句

8 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

9 repeal   

n.废止，撤消；v.废止，撤消

参考例句：

• He plans to repeal a number of current policies.他计划废除一些当前的政策。
• He has made out a strong case for the repeal of the law.他提出强有力的理由，赞成废除该法令。

10 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

11 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

12 seizures   

n.起获( seizure的名词复数 )；没收；充公；起获的赃物

参考例句：

• Seizures of illicit drugs have increased by 30% this year. 今年违禁药品的扣押增长了30%。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Other causes of unconsciousness predisposing to aspiration lung abscess are convulsive seizures. 造成吸入性肺脓肿昏迷的其他原因，有惊厥发作。 来自辞典例句

13 heroin   

n.海洛因

参考例句：

• Customs have made their biggest ever seizure of heroin.海关查获了有史以来最大的一批海洛因。
• Heroin has been smuggled out by sea.海洛因已从海上偷运出境。

14 busted   

adj. 破产了的，失败了的，被降级的，被逮捕的，被抓到的 动词bust的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• You are so busted! 你被当场逮住了！
• It was money troubles that busted up their marriage. 是金钱纠纷使他们的婚姻破裂了。

15 taxpayers   

纳税人，纳税的机构( taxpayer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Finance for education comes from taxpayers. 教育经费来自纳税人。
• She was declaiming against the waste of the taxpayers' money. 她慷慨陈词猛烈抨击对纳税人金钱的浪费。

16 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

17 stigma   

n.耻辱，污名；(花的)柱头

参考例句：

• Being an unmarried mother used to carry a social stigma.做未婚母亲在社会上曾是不光彩的事。
• The stigma of losing weighed heavily on the team.失败的耻辱让整个队伍压力沉重。