Colorado town considers renaming itself ‘Kush’ to celebrate cannabis industry

‘It’s the right kind of silly,’ said the mayor of Moffat

(Town of Moffat)

A small Colorado town could rename itself for the marijuana-growing industry that its supporters say has breathed new life into it.

Moffat, which has around 120 residents, is considering changing its name to “Kush” - which is a popular slang term for cannabis.

The drug was legalised in the state in 2012 and the idea for the name change has come from Mike Biggio, the owner and founder of Area 420, which licenses land for cannabis growing in Moffat.

Licenses for growing marijuana have gone from two to 70 in the past six years, driven mostly by Area 420, according to the town’s mayor, Cassandra Foxx.

“Moffat feels like it’s on the verge of massive growth right now. We might be super tiny, but we’re trying to do big things here,” she told CNN.

The mayor credits Area 420 with helping revitalise the town, which is a three hour drive from Denver.

“They kind of gave us life, like a rebirth. They provided an industry for Moffat,” she said.

“We’ve got a lot of open space, a lot of good resources, beautiful elevation, a good climate that lends itself to marijuana cultivation.”

The town, which was established in 1911, held a public meeting on the matter earlier this month, and residents have been invited to start a petition.

The town was originally named after industrialist David H Moffat, who helped develop railroads and mining in the state, and Ms Foxx admits not everyone is in favour of a change.

“Currently it’s just a discussion, we haven’t done anything,” she said as she called the possibility “a little silly” but “exciting.”

She added: “It’s the right kind of silly. But it’s also accurate, like it is a good representation of this region, of the industry that we’re trying to promote, and the lifeblood of our town. Change is always good.”