Marijuana is flowing into the black market and out of Colorado in greater quantities than ever before, law enforcement officials tell the Denver Post. It’s going by car and by bus. It’s being packed up and shipped through the mail. It’s being found, in small amounts and large bundles, as far away as Illinois, New York, and Florida. The movement of Colorado marijuana into neighboring states has scarcely escaped the attention of police in those states, who are tracking it more closely and believe Colorado’s legalization of pot will only increase the influx.
Colorado marijuana has “a reputation in Oklahoma because of how strong it is,” said Mark Woodward of Oklahoma’s Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. “No question, the more access you have, the more demand you’re going to have for this.” The Drug Enforcement Administration says that last year, 3½ tons of Colorado marijuana destined for other states was seized by law enforcement agencies. That’s up more than 300 percent from 2009, when a little over three-quarters of a ton of Colorado marijuana was seized. U.S. postal inspectors say packages containing marijuana mailed in Colorado to other states increased from 15 in 2010 to 209 through the first five months of 2013.