Colorado’s Marijuana Tax Money To Fund Two New Mental Health Facilities

For those looking to apply for a Colorado Tax ID, the recent legalization and subsequent taxation of marijuana in Colorado, was no doubt noteworthy. Equally noteworthy, is the fact that the local government has already moved in to ensure that the tax from the recent legislation will benefit the state.

To the relief of taxpayers and anyone who’s looking to apply for a Colorado Tax ID, Governor John Hickenlooper recently signed a senate bill in May of 2017 that set aside millions of marijuana tax dollars to be used to improve the Colorado state’s mental health systems and facilities to better care for those suffering from mental issues, as well as to reduce the usage of the state jails to hold people in crisis but have not been convicted.The  bill, which set aside around $2M, was specifically targeted at addressing the deficiencies in rural facilities across the state.

Initial plans for the money was that Montrose would receive it to operation an eight-bed ‘crisis-stabilization unit’, but it’s been changed so that Summit County will receive half. By next spring, Frisco’s Medical Office Building will be the site of a new walk-in crisis unit, with Montrose’ plan for an eight-bed unit will be scaled down to four.

Summit Assistant County Manager Sarah Vaine says that this has been a long time coming, stating that the area has always needed improvement, and that, the more mental health services the area and the state has, the better.

Mind Springs Health, which has been in operation in Frisco for some time now, has been hoping for quite a bit that a new crisis center could be built, and, with the funds from the legislation, that dream is now a reality.

According to Summit County Sheriff Jaime Fitzsimons, the whole idea came close to never happening. The new law targets ending mental health stays in county jails, since Summit experience a massive spike in such incidents over the past three years. Sheriff Fitzsimons had to convince the other sheriffs of Western Slop to agree to the new plan.

The new crisis units will be for patients to take a breather and receive proper attention during mental health episodes, but not medication or therapy like those provided at psychiatric hospitals like West Springs.

Still, Vaine says that this development is very much a welcome one. She says that the money will go to good use, with every occupied bed representing a person that’s received better care, and avoiding harm or a criminal situation.