Is Kush, Colorado Coming on the Maps?
Moffat, Colorado may in the future change name to Kush, a popular designation for weed. On the photo, a view of the town in winter. Photo source: Jeffrey Beall on Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
The cannabis industry has dramatically changed tiny Colorado town of Moffat. To the point, local authorities are considering a new name - Kush! Moffat only has around 120 residents. With a lot of open space for cultivation, it has seen a big jump in cannabis licensing, from two to over 70 in the past six years.
Moffat's name change proposal comes from Mike Biggio, the owner and founder of Area 420, a key cannabis player in town. Area 420 licenses land for cannabis cultivation in the area and takes the main credit for the sector's growth there.
Cassandra Foxx, the mayor of Moffat, told CNN that Biggio's business has had a major impact on the town economy.
"They kind of gave us life, like a rebirth," Foxx said. "They provided an industry for Moffat."
She said: "Moffat feels like it's on the verge of massive growth right now. We might be super tiny, but we're trying to do big things here."
Biggio reportedly suggested the name change in a public comment at a meeting held at the town hall on June 7, and his proposal was widely met with approval from the public.
However, according to Foxx, not everyone is enthusiastic about the possible name change. Some residents prefer the town to keep its historical name which honors David H. Moffat, an industrialist who significantly helped develop railroads and mines in Colorado.
Should Moffat is renamed to Kush, the next step would be for a resident to launch a petition about it, Foxx said.
"Currently it's just a discussion, we haven't done anything," she said.
Foxx thinks the prospect of changing the town's name is "exciting."
"A little silly, but that's good," she said. "It's the right kind of silly. But it's also accurate, like it is a good representation of this region, of the industry that we're trying to promote, and the lifeblood of our town."
Moffat has a lot of open space, a lot of good resources, beautiful elevation, and a good climate that lends itself to marijuana cultivation, Foxx said.
In December this year, the state of Colorado will mark its tenth anniversary since it passed by ballot Amendment 64, which legalized the private consumption of marijuana. The amendment was officially added to the state's constitution on December 10, 2012. The state's first legal marijuana retailers launched in January 2014 when authorities enacted the Colorado Retail Marijuana Code.
I think transforming a city name to honor the budding sector is a beautiful way to celebrate and mark such an important anniversary.
S
Stephen Andrews
