A cannabis-loving town in the US could actually change its name to 'Kush'

A small town in Colorado could rename its home "Kush" in a rebranding effort to reflect the area's growing cannabis industry.

The name Kush is being pushed by Mike Biggio, who co-founded 70 growth operations aptly called Area 420 five years ago in the 120-person town in southern Colorado’s San Luis Valley - and he's a man on a mission.

“I’m looking to establish this as a world-renowned cannabis region," he told Denver Post.

Kush is the new name proposal and is a nickname for marijuana, which is in reference to the south-central Asian Hindu Kush mountain range.

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Biggio believes the town name should represent the economic boom the plant is bringing in, as tax revenue has soared as a result of the industry - from very little, to the town taking in $400,000 last year.

Due to this increase, the money has been injected into research projects such as housing development as well as a new water and sewage system to improve the quality of life in the area.

It seems Biggio has already some support in his renaming efforts, as Cassandra Foxx, Moffat’s mayor said she would vote in favour of the new name as she described how Moffat was "able to just exist" before Area 420 but now the town has seen "exponential growth."

"Change is always good," she said to Denver Post. "The most dangerous phrase is, ‘We’ve always done it this way.’ That’s the death of society."

However, not everyone is backing Kush as town trustee Ken Skoglund told the same publication: "The name change? [Expletive] no!"

The wheels were set in motion on Tuesday (June 7) as Biggio made his case at an informal meeting with Moffat’s Board of Trustees to prove that this could be done - bringing with him printed pages that list places in Colorado that have changed names as well as evidence of increased tourism due to the legalisation of cannabis.

It wouldn't be the first place in Colorado to make a name change - for instance, Aspen was called Ute city until 1880, while Telluride was known as Columbia before 1887 (this change was due to being confused with a Californian town with the same name).

Biggio also argued Moffat has a similar issue as it's often mixed up with Moffat County located in northwest Colorado.

Discussions around whether changing the name is possible are still going on, town officials told Denver Post, while Biggio expressed he would like to see "fair democratic measure" take place and "let the public speak," on the matter.

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