DENVER – Moments after Gov. John Hickenlooper on Monday called Colorado voters “reckless” for legalizing marijuana without all the data, his own director of marijuana coordination called the cannabis industry to make sure lines of communication were still open.
Andrew Freedman, Hickenlooper’s director of marijuana coordination, called Mark Eddy, a consultant for the Marijuana Industry Group, which represents Colorado cannabis businesses.
“I reach out whenever I hear something that could hit sideways with important stakeholders,” Freedman said. “This was one that I thought could probably hit them sideways, and I would rather them hear from me rather than anyone else.”
Indeed, the governor – a Democrat in a tight re-election bid against Republican Bob Beauprez – raised a few eyebrows at a debate Monday hosted by the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce and moderated by POLITICO.
“For us to do that without having all the data, ... to a certain extent you could say it was reckless,” Hickenlooper said of legalization during the 45-minute debate. “I’m not saying it was reckless because I get quoted everywhere. But if it was up to me, I wouldn’t have done it. I opposed it from the very beginning.
“What the hell,” Hickenlooper continued after briefly pausing. “I’ll say it was reckless.”
The story quickly went national, with interests as far away as the United Kingdom reporting it.
For political observers, the comment could be viewed as a foot-in-mouth moment for a governor not looking to alienate any voting blocs. In Colorado, 55 percent of the electorate legalized marijuana in 2012, or about 1.3 million voters.
Beauprez’s camp quickly seized the opportunity, pointing out that Hickenlooper attended a fundraiser in August hosted by some of the biggest names in the cannabis industry. Beauprez also opposed legalization.
“To raise money from the industry then throw them under the bus is classic Hickpocrisy,” said Allen Fuller, a Beauprez spokesman. “He can’t have his Cheetos and eat them, too.”
When voters legalized marijuana in 2012, Hickenlooper joked, “Don’t break out the Cheetos or Goldfish too quickly.”
Eddy said the purpose of the call from Freedman was simply to keep a dialogue going.
“As part of having open lines of communication between the state and the industry, Andrew called to say this statement was made, and I wanted to give you a heads up,” Eddy said.
Freedman added that it was important to call because of the sensitive nature of the comments in relation to the budding marijuana industry.
“Everybody is hypersensitive toward where this industry is and where it’s going,” Freedman said. “I thought it was important to give them the context of everything that was said there.”
pmarcus@durangoherald.com
