Photo: NELSON ALMEIDA / AFP / Getty Images
Dinosaur, Colorado was on the verge of extinction – until legalized marijuana gave it a second shot at life.
The tiny town, which features such roads as Brontosaurus Boulevard and Stegosaurus Freeway, boasts four marijuana dispensaries for its 315 residents – one for every 79 people who live there. While that might not be enough customers to keep all four in business, the town has suddenly seen a surge in visitors from neighboring Wyoming and Utah, where recreational marijuana is illegal. "You'd be shocked how much money comes through here," says Dinosaur treasurer Jim Evans. "There's money running out of our ears."
In fact, Lando Blakley, owner of Dino Dispensary, says about 95 percent of his business comes from out-of-state customers. Some come from as far away as North Dakota to stock up on cannabis products, he says. "Right now, cannabis is Dinosaur's lifeblood," Blakley says.