The Colorado Department of Corrections is now allowing inmates to grow and consume recreational marijuana, in accordance with state law for the rest of the population.
Prison Warden Tom Norton told the Rocky Mountain News, “We’ve already seen a decrease in violent crime within the jails. Snack food contraband is up 300 percent but that’s to be expected. We will continue to monitor the marijuana program but so far so good.”
Each inmate is allocated one gram of marijuana per day but additional weed can be earned through good behavior and prison work programs.
All the marijuana is grown on prisons grounds. “The inmates enjoy agricultural part of growing the cannabis plants,” Norton said. “We have a waiting list of prisoners wanting to trim the buds.
“We keep half of the crop and the rest goes to local Colorado pot dispensaries. Our current projection indicates prison weed sales will cover thirty percent of the incarceration cost by 2020.”
The strain of prison grown marijuana is known as “Konvict Kush” and is rated highly by High Times magazine and qualified for the prestigious Cannabis Cup award for the year's best marijuana.
Colorado inmates appreciate the freedom to smoke pot in prison but the irony is not lost on all the felons. Former small-time pot dealer Ben Salter told High Times, “It’s a bit funny because I’m in prison for weed.
“If I was born just a few years later I would have been a successful small business owner instead of a felon.”
Salter’s cellmate John Winston tells a different story. “If I had used weed on the outside instead of crystal meth I doubt I would have killed that hooker. I guess you never know cause she was pretty nuts like most hookers. Maybe smoking weed would have helped her and she wouldn’t be dead now. Hindsight is 20/20.
“I don’t even mind being put in the ‘hot box’ now. In fact, I find it relaxing. It gives me time to think about my screenplay.”
Colorado conducted a poll on the pot for prisoners program which came back overwhelmingly positive.
“Certainly helps kill the time and makes the concrete cell more manageable,” Winston said. “Only 17 years left on my sentence. Hey, maybe meth will be legal by the time I get out.”
