Denver kicked off the nation’s first county fair to permit marijuana competitions this past Friday. The city’s county fair includes a 21-and-over “Pot Pavillion” where contestants can showcase plants, homemade bongs, edible items and even clothing made from the cannabis plant.

No actual weed is permitted for display or consumption on the county fair grounds. Instead, contestants showcase their products through a series of photographs for the public.

The fair is expected to have an attendance of approximately 20 000 people from all over the world. “We keep hearing they want to come see the pot,” said Dana Cain, who helped organize the first Denver County Fair three years ago.

Colorado’s legalization of cannabis in January 2014 has not only put it on the national stage, but also the world stage as the face of radical drug law reforms. Heavy emphasis has been placed by opponents of the reform, on evaluating the effects of legalization on the state’s public health, safety and criminal justice systems. Proponents, however, agree that while those issues require focus, it is far too early to assess the impact.

A report released by the Drug Policy Alliance in late June 2014 revealed positive statistics in correlation with legal marijuana use. Data from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report suggests that the overall crime rate in Colorado is down 10.1 percent from last year, with a decrease in violent crime by 5.2 percent. Burglaries at cash-only businesses (dispensaries) reached a record low this year. 

Economically, the legalization of marijuana could potentially save the state of Colorado $10 to $40 million in law enforcement charges from no longer pursuing possession cases. According to Art Way, senior drug policy manager for the Colorado chapter of the Drug Policy Alliance, it costs the state approximately $300 to adjudicate each case of minor possession, which was a large focus of Colorado law enforcement in the past. 

From a public health perspective, the legalization of marijuana has become an important topic of discussion for the nation. New York became the 23rd American state to pass legislation on the legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes.

In light of a growing body of scientific evidence pointing to the potent efficacy of marijuana as a medical treatment for various psychiatric disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the federal government also recently stepped up to the plate. Congress introduced legal enforcements upon the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to recognize and respect state law in an effort permit more research on the medical applications of marijuana.