The Impact of Legal Cannabis on Poverty and Homelessness in Pueblo County

Abstract

There is no evidence that poverty has either increased or decreased in Pueblo, Colorado as a result of cannabis legalization. There is evidence that homelessness in Pueblo has increased recently. Apart from anecdotal reports, there is no scientific evidence that links increased homelessness to legal cannabis. Instead, Black Hills Energy disconnected utilities from more than 7,000 Pueblo homes in 2016 and is, according to Posada’s Anne Stattelman, the largest single cause of homelessness in Pueblo, "It's the number one reason families are becoming homeless in our community" (Girardin 2016).