A small town in southern Colorado is considering a proposal to have its name changed from Moffat to Kush, a type of cannabis from the Hindu Kush mountain range on the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The agricultural town is one of many that has embraced the local marijuana industry after the state legalized the commercial sale of marijuana for adults over age 21.
Changing the town’s name would have to be a joint decision and residents of the 120-person town came together to hash out the proposal on Jun. 7.
Mike Biggio is the co-founder of Area 420, a business park that is home to 70 grow operations. He wasn’t blowing smoke when he spearheaded the effort to rename the town.
“I’m looking to establish this as a world-renowned cannabis region,” Biggio told The Denver Post.
Moffat is located in a deeply conservative area of Colorado not widely open to dispensaries or grow farms. But, the town hasn't been left high and dry since Area 420 launched five years ago: $80,000 in tax revenue before Area 420 started has turned into $400,000 in excise taxes, most of which came from the budding cannabis industry.
The revenue funded new infrastructure, housing developments, and even school upgrades to ensure that institutions of higher learning were not neglected.
“Change is always good,” said Cassandra Foxx, the town’s mayor. “The most dangerous phrase is, ‘We’ve always done it this way.’ That’s the death of society.”
However, not everyone in the town is pleased. Some residents have voiced blunt opposition to the proposal.
Trustee Ken Skoglund is against changing the town’s name, citing hassles to current residents who would have to change their addresses, letterheads and licenses, according to The Washington Post.
“It’s a good industry for Moffat, but that doesn’t mean it should come in and change the name of the town and disrupt a whole bunch of other people that don’t even care for marijuana,” he said.
Skoglund considers Biggio a friend, but draws a line at changing the town’s name to Kush.
“That’s overreach,” Skoglund said. “It’s not about money. It’s about right and wrong and we represent the people.”
