The Cannabist Network

Recent posts by The Cannabist Network

New pot bill in Colorado Senate threat to families (opinion)

Colorado has legalized marijuana, and attitudes about how to best address drug use issues are shifting nationally. In the midst of these reforms, it is perhaps unsurprising that traditional drug war proponents are pursuing alternatives to continue the prohibition of marijuana and other drug use, this time targeting families and drug-using parents.

Colo. pot shop owner under indictment sues over store shutdowns

A Colorado medical-marijuana dispensary owner who is under criminal indictment sued state regulators Friday for closing down his shops. The Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division issued notices of denial this week to two Denver medical-marijuana dispensaries, Higher Health Medical and Jane Medical, according to exhibits included with the lawsuit.

Denver’s new Marijuana Advisory Council will hash out policy

Colorado’s legalization of recreational marijuana has left cities navigating mostly uncharted waters when it comes to regulation, enforcement and cash-heavy tax collections. Now Denver is bringing together high-level officials from far-flung agencies — ranging from public safety to budgeting to children’s affairs — to keep up with the new reality.

Potential risks of edibles in spotlight after student’s death in Colorado

Throughout Dr. Scott Bentz’s career in emergency medicine, marijuana wasn’t something he much worried about. About a person a month would come in feeling panicky after smoking pot. A sedative and a quiet room usually did the trick.

Chic pot shop Euflora targets Denver tourists on 16th Street Mall

The only marijuana shop directly on the 16th Street Mall opened Wednesday with a design concept aimed at minimizing the intimidation factor for less-experienced users — such as tourists. Click here

Pot stocks: SEC halts Advanced Cannabis Solutions trading

Executives at Advanced Cannabis Solutions on Tuesday described the recent temporary suspension of trading on the Colorado Springs’ company’s stock as an “enormous inconvenience,” but were optimistic trading will resume.

Edgewater excited about rec pot, no complaints

Three months after Edgewater became the first city in Jefferson County to open retail marijuana shops, business owners and city officials say business is booming and nary a problem has been reported.

Bailey shop is first in Park County to sell recreational marijuana

As Jefferson County’s marijuana task force begins research that will help it guide the county on its decision to retain or lift its moratorium on recreational marijuana sales, neighboring Park County awarded its first retail marijuana license to a Bailey store.

Colo.-produced CBD oil roils debate on pot reform

A Colorado marijuana innovation is changing the way lawmakers in even the most conservative parts of the country talk about cannabis and is poised to create a rapid expansion in the number of states that have legalized marijuana in some way.

Uruguay to track pot by genetic markers

Uruguay’s drug czar says every legal marijuana plant in Uruguay will be registered and tracked using radio frequency tags, and that state-grown marijuana will be cloned to include genetic markers, making sure that what’s grown here, stays here. That’s a much tougher tracking system than those imposed in Colorado and Washington, which recently legalized marijuana use.

Colorado’s marijuana regulators vow to step up enforcement

The state agency overseeing Colorado’s historic experiment in marijuana legalization is adding enforcement agents, data analysis and undercover operatives — steps officials say will help them better hold businesses accountable.

More hemp growing cleared for Colorado

It has been three weeks since the Colorado Department of Agriculture began accepting applications from residents wanting to grow hemp, and the state agency has thus far given the go-ahead to 21 applications — five coming from three businesses that want to grow in Weld County.

Larkspur voters could get pot tax payback if recreational sales approved

Petitioners are hoping Larkspur residents approve measures on the April 8 ballot that would allow for recreational marijuana sales in the town and potentially put money into the pockets of residents.

Pot plants cost Denver thousands in bridge project; money mystery remains

The city of Denver has been trying for months to track down the owners of a marijuana dispensary — targets of a federal drug investigation — to give them more than $23,000. The money is what’s left of the sum Denver agreed to pay VIP Wellness Center to relocate one of its grow locations early last year to make way for a massive construction project.

Point-counterpoint: Are rec pot’s low tax numbers worrisome? YES

So far, it looks like voters won’t capture anywhere near the revenues they anticipated. Pot shops have opened before fully funding a data collection program to give us an inkling of what the actual social costs will be, including impacts on school dropout rates, the achievement gap, and workforce readiness issues.

Point-counterpoint: Are rec pot’s low tax numbers worrisome? NO

If the lower estimated tax revenue numbers in Colorado are accurate, does that weaken the case for legalization? Not in the least. The possibility of increased tax revenue was never the main reason for legalizing marijuana.

Colo. marijuana regulators reverse roles, join industry

At least three influential officials at the state agency that regulates marijuana business have found work doing cannabis industry consulting after leaving the division, the latest sign of the industry’s growing allure in Colorado.

Growing problem for Uruguay: Not enough pot

In about a month, Uruguay’s revolutionary new cannabis law will go into effect, and the government will be growing and selling marijuana. However, it’s not going to be producing much of its own cannabis any time soon. So, where is the official stash going to come from in the meantime? Maybe Canada.

Colorado marijuana raids: Man indicted says weapons charge is unconstitutional

A Colombian man charged with a weapons violation in connection with major federal raids on Colorado medical-marijuana businesses says his indictment should be thrown out because the charge is unconstitutional.

Pot packaging rules: Medical now held to same standards as recreational

Colorado clarified its marijuana packaging requirements Monday, extending to medical pot the same restrictions in place for recreational pot. Gov. John Hickenlooper, who signed the bill into law, called it an important clarification to make sure minors don’t illegally access marijuana.

Aurora rec plan includes points system for shop licenses

The city of Aurora is considering implementing a points system in deciding who will get the coveted 24 recreational marijuana licenses when pot shops can finally open in the city on Oct. 1. Council also agreed operating hours could be 8 a.m.-10 p.m. to compete with Denver, where pot shops lock up at 7 p.m.

Disparities in background checks by FBI

The FBI is refusing to run nationwide background checks on people applying to run legal marijuana businesses in Washington state, even though it has conducted similar checks in Colorado—a discrepancy that illustrates the quandary the Justice Department faces with regulating a drug that’s long been illegal under federal law.

Congress gets new cannabis pitch: It’s good business

The delegation from the National Cannabis Industry Association made a point of dressing well for its day on Capitol Hill, sporting mostly dark suits, lots of ties and plenty of the group’s signature lapel pins, which feature a sun rising over vibrant fields of pot. Marijuana advocates are asking Congress to remove some of the obstacles that stand in the way of their fledgling businesses.

CannaSearch job fair — seeking accountants, IT and pot-centric workers (videos)

Job seekers are expected to turn out in droves for the CannaSearch cannabis-related job fair Thursday. Résumés — not reefer — will be welcome. More than a dozen Colorado marijuana-related companies are recruiting people 21 and old for positions in accounting, IT, trimming, growing, customer service and sales.

Editorial: How much THC is in those brownies? Edibles industry in need of oversight

In the fledgling industry of retail marijuana, some glitches are expected, but that doesn’t mean they should be accepted. Just as bottles of booze should be trusted to identify the alcohol level, marijuana-infused products should have the correct THC potency.

Caregiver pot-growing crackdown by legislators unlikely for now

A legal loophole in Colorado’s marijuana law that allows people to grow hundreds of pot plants without going through background checks or paying taxes is likely staying—for now, legislators were told Tuesday.