Social service agencies say pot legalization accounts for more clients

Reconsider moving to Pueblo if you don’t have a full-time job. That’s the warning from Posada, one of the biggest agencies in Pueblo that serves the homeless.

Executive Director Anne Stattleman wrote the message on the agency’s website after seeing a record number of people asking the agency for help. She attributes the increase to the legalization of marijuana, Medicaid expansion in Colorado, and the perceived affordability of housing.

Stattleman isn’t alone. Eva Matola, director of the Pueblo Community Soup Kitchen, said just last week the kitchen served a record number of people — exceeding 200 people in one day.

“We do have our regulars. We do, but I’ve seen so many newcomers come through here through Pueblo,” Matola said. “Because living here is a lot cheaper and they can smoke the marijuana here.”

It’s a similar story at the Center for Disabilities.

“I look at our food pantry and it’s always been pretty steady in terms of the number of clients that we have. As soon as the marijuana issue reared its head, we saw a marked increase,” said Program Director Bill Edwards.

He said since marijuana became legal in Colorado, Center for Disabilities has seen a 25 increase in clients at the food pantry. When asked if the timing with marijuana legalization was merely a coincidence, Edwards replied, “I don’t believe in coincidences, but if it is, it’s the biggest, funniest coincidence because every agency has felt that same situation and the same time frame that it occurred.”

Pueblo County Commissioner Sal Pace has led the county’s efforts to regulate marijuana. He said he needs proof that agencies are being adversely affected by marijuana.

“We are anxious to study if there are impacts on social programs,” Pace said. “You know I don’t like to speculate. I don’t like to guess. We’re looking for hard data.”

Pace told KRDO NewsChannel 13 he hasn’t received data from any agencies showing an increase in services attributed to marijuana, but Edwards said that’s not true.

“I most recently did when they had a county commissioners’ meeting. I was at that meeting and specifically addressed that,” Edwards said.

Edwards said he has one request for county commissioners.

“I would like to see them at least be willing to admit to the fact that this is a problem that has been by and large ignored by them,” he said.

Pace said if ballot issue 1-B passes, it’ll give the county money to study what affects marijuana is having on the community.