A man named Mike Biggio’s has made it his current mission to convince a Colorado town to rebrand it’s name to Kush.
The town? Moffat, Colorado. Before cannabis, they were just another small town in Colorado. A small population of 120-people in southern Colorado’s San Luis Valley and long known for its agriculture and ranching history.
Mike Biggio and his business partner founded Area 420, a collection of grow operations on 420 acres in town that likely represents the highest concentration of cannabis producers in all of Colorado.
But cannabis has unequivocally reinvigorated the town, Cassandra Foxx, Moffat’s mayor, said. Since Area 420 took root five years ago, tax revenue has skyrocketed in a place that had virtually none beforehand: $80,000 quickly became $120,000 per year. Then $200,000. Last year Moffat took in some $400,000 in excise taxes — nearly all of which came from the marijuana industry.
“The name isn’t just to be cute,” Mike said.
Town officials say they’re still figuring out how a change could even happen — whether it would take a ballot measure or a petition. Biggio said concerns about citizens having to redo all their paperwork if the town flips names are overblown.
“Let’s put this up to whatever fair democratic measure and let the public speak,” Biggio said.
Biggio’s effort to change the town’s name began at Moffat’s Board of Trustees meeting. Biggio provided evidence via the following sources: Wikipedia pages for the Hindu Kush, a radio station’s list of previous Colorado name changes and Forbes articles talking about tourism booms precipitated by legal weed. The meeting is strictly informational, an opening salvo before any votes are taken.
Biggio may well have the support he needs.
“Change is always good,” said Cassandra Foxx, who said she’d vote for Kush. “The most dangerous phrase is, ‘We’ve always done it this way.’ That’s the death of society.”
How do you feel about the change?
Sources: The Denver Post, CNN, Area 420, & Bing Maps
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