Coloradan Schizophrenia

The Ominous Shadow of Air Products fell over 42 of the 48 contiguous United States. From Renton, WA to Miami, FL, from La Jolla, CA to Marlborough, MA, Air Products oxygen served hospitals and its HCl produced methamphetamine throughout this great land.

I traveled to most of those facilities at one time or another. Two states stood out as places I would choose to live — Colorado and Oregon. The guys at our Tualatin, OR plant would grab their fishing rods at lunchtime and catch salmon from the river across the road. Try doing that in Trexlertown, PA. Driving from Denver to Fort Collins through Rocky Mountain National Park in the autumn is a treat for all the senses.

Coloradans tend to be either gun-crazy conservatives (Congresswoman Lauren Bobert, for example) or snow-obsessed former hippies (Pretty much everyone in Boulder, for example).

In a classic example of Coloradan schizophrenia, the 2022 midterm elections there had two questions on the ballot. Coloradans approved legalization of “magic mushrooms” 54% to 46%, the first state to do so. Medical marijuana has been legal there since 2000. Recreational marijuana was allowed in 2012. “Rocky Mountain High”, indeed. Colorado leads the way.

The second ballot question barely passed, 50.6% to 49.4%. It allowed beer and wine sales at supermarkets. Until this year, Coloradans could legally purchase marijuana from state-authorized outlets but could not buy a six pack of Coors with a bottle of Chablis at the Safeway.

In fact, more Coloradans favor access to “magic mushrooms” over easy purchase of Coors Light.

Schizophrenic or not, I love Colorado.

By Ed Dufton