Alicia Wallace

Alicia Wallace

Alicia Wallace is a business reporter who specializes in covering the cannabis industry for The Denver Post and, formerly, for its web vertical The Cannabist. In her 15 years as a business news reporter, her coverage has spanned topics such as the economy, Sports Authority, craft beer, airlines, biotech, technology and natural foods.

Recent posts by Alicia Wallace

‘We don’t exactly know what to do with it’: Marijuana tourism still confounds legalized states

Tourism officials in several marijuana-friendly states say they’re watching the industry closely while others are champing at the bit to make a move.

This pro-legalization business magnate is Hillary Clinton’s biggest billionaire backer

This pro-legalization business magnate is the biggest billionaire contributor for Hillary Clinton’s presidential bid.

Embattled weed tech company MassRoots cuts jobs amid debt default

MassRoots Inc. has cut more than 40 percent of its workforce and recently defaulted on debt payments, the Denver-based firm disclosed.

National fire safety group focuses on unique issues of marijuana businesses

The National Fire Protection Association is steps closer to adding a chapter on marijuana grow and processing facilities to its NFPA 1, Fire Code.

Montel Williams more involved in medical marijuana than ever with biz launch

Montel Williams, the former TV talk show host, spoke with The Cannabist about his new medical marijuana company, LenitivLabs.

Report: Canada health officials did not take action on contaminated pot

A Globe and Mail investigation revealed that government officials did not act after receiving tests showing tainted retail pot being sold.

How one of America’s most visible Fortune 1000 giants quietly snuck into the cannabis industry

In its quest to invest a half-billion dollars in the marijuana-centric hydroponics space, gardening giant Scotts Miracle-Gro is one of the first corporate behemoths to gamble on America’s burgeoning legal cannabis industry.

Report: If these states vote in legal pot, they are good for $7.8 billion of revenue by 2020

Adult-use and medical marijuana legalization ballot issues could equate to $7.8 billion in legal cannabis sales by 2020, according to a new report.

Dr. Bronner’s pledges $660,000 to marijuana legalization efforts in California, four other states

Hemp soap company Dr. Bronner’s plans to contribute upward of $660,000 to marijuana legalization campaigns in five states.

Colorado’s tourism office will soon start educating visitors about marijuana laws

Colorado tourism officials are not actively going to promote the state’s legal marijuana industry any time soon, but they are ramping up educational and informational efforts around the issue, the state’s tourism director said Friday.

Why beer distributors, alcohol trade groups are fighting legal marijuana with lots of cash

In Massachusetts, a group of beer distributors tossed in $25,000 to anti-legalization efforts, the Intercept reported this week.

The marijuana breathalyzer: When will it hit the streets?

An Oakland-based startup just announced that its marijuana breathalyzer successfully completed roadside field testing by law enforcement officers. But there are still hurdles to clear before the product goes wide. Here are the latest developments.

Polls: California marijuana legalization expected to pass

The latest poll shows that marijuana legalization is trending favorably among California voters, the Orange County Register reported this week.

Colorado pot shops post record-breaking sales figures topping $122 million in July 2016

Colorado’s monthly marijuana sales notched an all-time high in July as shops sold nearly $122.7 million of medical and recreational cannabis.

Report: Legalizing marijuana in California could create $6.5 billion market by 2020

California legalizing marijuana could create a $6.5 billion industry in 2020 and serve as a “watershed moment” for the industry, according to a study released Tuesday.

Patent No. 6,630,507: Why the U.S. government holds a patent on cannabis plant compounds

Marijuana proponents have been highlighting the government-owned Patent No. 6,630,507. But the issue and the patent itself aren’t black and white.

What you need to know about the 2016 presidential candidates’ marijuana views

The Cannabist provides a breakdown of how the four leading 2016 presidential candidates view the issue of marijuana.

DEA files docs, says no to rescheduling marijuana

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration filed documents with the Federal Register on Thursday outlining its denial of petitions to reschedule marijuana.

State legislators group to feds: Remove marijuana from Schedule I, allow banking for pot industry

The National Conference of State Legislators passed a resolution recommending that marijuana be removed as a Schedule I substance to allow for banking.

DEA rejects marijuana’s medical use, keeping status Schedule I

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will deny requests that it change the legal classification of marijuana and reject arguments that marijuana has medical value, according to multiple news reports.

Fight continues in Congress over allowing VA doctors to discuss medical marijuana with patients

Congressman Earl Blumenauer is continuing a push to allow Veterans Affairs doctors to discuss medical marijuana with their patients.

DEA: Decision on marijuana rescheduling in ‘final stages’

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is still considering whether to reschedule marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act, an agency spokesman said Tuesday.

Essential info on Puerto Rico’s fast-moving medical pot plans

Puerto Rico, which started drafting its framework in January, could see its first sales under the new program in a matter of months, the general counsel for the U.S. territory’s Department of Health told The Cannabist.

Update: Quest to get PTSD on Colorado medical marijuana list continues in court

Colorado residents seeking the use of medical marijuana to treat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder are taking their case to the state Court of Appeals.

How PTSD became the most divisive medical marijuana issue in America

Despite the public policy adoption of medical marijuana as a treatment for PTSD, questions loom for some in the medical and mental health communities.

Air Force vet: Cannabis combats my PTSD ‘100 times better’ than pharmaceuticals

Veteran Stephen Otero’s PTSD symptoms led to a suicide attempt. Otero, now with a healthy lifestyle and marijuana as medicine, hopes to help other vets.

Terrapin Care Station buys Denver Relief’s marijuana shop in central Denver

Boulder’s Terrapin Care Station has landed in Denver proper by acquiring Denver Relief, one of the longest operating dispensaries in Colorado.

How the marijuana industry is boosting the Colorado economy

Employment is growing faster in Colorado, housing is hotter and incomes are higher, according to a report by the University of Colorado Leeds School of Business.

Definitive guide to marijuana on the 2016 ballot: Recreational & medical initiatives

A state-by-state rundown of the recreational and medical marijuana ballot initiatives going before voters in November 2016.

Colorado rings up $98.6M in marijuana sales for May 2016

In the first five months of the year, Colorado marijuana sales already were starting to flirt with the half-billion mark.

CEO of Scotts Miracle-Gro says marijuana ‘biggest thing’ ever in gardening

Scotts Miracle-Gro CEO Jim Hagedorn tells Forbes he plans to invest $500 million to lure more customers who are growing marijuana at home or commercially.