Pushing one of their central marketing points, legalization supporters argue that the last six-and-a-half months of the Colorado experiment prove past predictions of doom from anti-legalization advocates have not come to fruition. In particular, they say, crime rates and marijuana use in Colorado have not increased, and believe that with the nightmare scenarios now falling by the way side, states will be convinced to follow in the same path.

“There was a lot of ‘sky is falling’ rhetoric about legalization in Colorado, and the sky hasn’t fallen,” said Forrest Dunbar, a Democratic congressional candidate in Alaska and a supporter of the state’s legalization measure.

Opponents, though, say a closer look at what’s happening in Colorado should deter Alaska, Oregon and the rest of the country with pressing ahead. They contend that in just half a year, the state already has seen public safety problems, rising usage rates, and pot being marketed to kids.

“The creation of a new Big Tobacco-type industry has emerged in Colorado, along with multiple deaths, increased emergency room admissions, increased poison control center calls, and increased omissions to treatment,” said Kevin Sabet, who co-founded the anti-legalization Project SAM (Smart Approaches to Marijuana) with former Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.). “By any measure, it [has] not been a successful rollout in Colorado.”