More drug testing by Colo. employers, survey shows
Some employers are taking a tougher stance against workers’ drug use since recreational marijuana became legal in Colorado, according to a new workplace survey.
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Marijuana convictions: Colorado court rules some cases can be overturned
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A woman convicted in 2011 of a marijuana offense that is now legal in Colorado is entitled to have her conviction retroactively thrown out, the state’s second-highest court ruled Thursday.
Colorado court: Some marijuana convictions can be overturned
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Colorado’s second-highest court says some people convicted of possessing small amounts of marijuana can ask for those convictions to be thrown out under the law that legalized recreational marijuana in the state.
CannaSearch job fair — seeking accountants, IT and pot-centric workers (videos)
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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
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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
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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.
Denver 4/20 rally back on track, but some red tape remains
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The first year of legal recreational marijuana sales nearly brought an ironic twist when Denver city officials raised the possibility of shutting down the city’s huge, long-held 4/20 rally.
No room to grow: Huge demand for Denver warehouses
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Pot merchants are scrambling to find enough vacant warehouses suitable for growing marijuana in Denver, and leasing prices have risen with the demand. An estimate of how much property pot growing/manufacturing occupies is 4.5 million square feet.
Risks for banks spotlighted in $850K federal seizure
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Officials at one of three banks where about $850,000 was seized from accounts federal authorities say marijuana businesses used to illegally funnel money said they were unaware of the conduct.
A cool $2 million in taxes for Colorado’s first month of recreational pot
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Colorado collected slightly more than $2 million in taxes on the sale of recreational marijuana in the month of January, according to new figures released by the state Monday.
Feds move to seize $850,000 from Colorado medical pot business
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Federal prosecutors are seeking to seize more than $850,000 in a civil forfeiture case against a medical-marijuana business connected to a major state-court indictment last year.
For first time, California may regulate its medical marijuana industry
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A California lawmaker has introduced legislation to regulate the state’s freewheeling medical marijuana industry — the farmers who grow the drug, the hundreds of storefront shops that sell it and especially the doctors who write recommendations allowing people to use it.
Keeping your red card? Medical registry grows slightly in Jan. 2014
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The number of patients on Colorado’s medical marijuana registry rose ever so slightly in the first month of recreational store sales, according to new figures from state health officials.
Edibles’ THC claims versus lab tests reveal big discrepancies
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A study of several marijuana-infused products showed THC levels in edibles are never exactly what the package reads, but some varied extremely. One milk chocolate bar labeled for 100 milligrams of THC had 0.37 milligrams, according to a state-licensed marijuana testing facility.
Nederland pot club to open in a few weeks
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Club Ned is set to be the only cannabis cafe — a private club where members can go to smoke marijuana — in Boulder County when it opens sometime in the next few weeks.
Dutch drug laws: 5 things to know
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The Netherlands may be home to one of the world’s most liberal drug policies, but it isn’t totally freewheeling. 5 things to know about marijuana laws.
Pot-pioneering Dutch taking harder line as U.S. laws loosen
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The Netherlands, the world pioneer in pot liberalization, has recently taken a harder line toward marijuana, with mixed results. The central government clampdown has involved banning people who live outside the Netherlands from coffee shops, and closing shops deemed to be too close to schools.
Dude, big mistake: CDOT uses humor in campaign against stoned driving
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CDOT’s new “Drive High, Get a DUI” campaign debuts. Also on Thursday, the Colorado State Patrol graduated 20 new Drug Recognition Experts, who are trained to spot and test someone suspected of driving under the influence of drugs.
The Canary’s Song in Nederland finally ready for recreational sales
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A month after The Canary’s Song appeared on track to be the first recreational marijuana shop in Boulder County, the Nederland dispensary announced it will open for recreational marijuana sales on Saturday, March 8.
Marijuana tax revenue: Colorado police chiefs seek more money
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Colorado’s police chiefs are asking the state for more money to pay for marijuana enforcement, saying they are “disappointed” in Gov. John Hickenlooper’s plan for how to spend marijuana tax revenue.
CNN tracks Colorado “medical marijuana refugees” (video)
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CNN’s Sanjay Gupta toured Colorado’s medical marijuana outlets in a documentary last summer, “Weed,” talking about the medicinal uses of the drug. Now CNN and Gupta are back.
Aspen kicks off recreational sales, first in Pitkin County
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Pitkin County is well known for all its different recreational possibilties, and a new one is joining the list — marijuana, as Aspen recreational sales were cleared to begin.
Washington issues first legal cannabis business license
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Washington state issued its first legal marijuana business license Wednesday, launching a new phase in the state’s ambitious effort to regulate a market that has been illegal for more than 75 years.
Lafayette hammers out recreational marijuana regs
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Lafayette City Council on Tuesday passed a revised set of regulations governing recreational marijuana sales as well as cultivation and manufacturing operations.
Lawmakers press White House, again, on pot rules
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A senior U.S. drug enforcement official urged Congress and others not to abandon scientific concerns over marijuana in favor of public opinion to legalize it.
Mayor Hancock says Denver 4/20 rally’s pro-pot stance concerns him
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Denver Mayor Michael Hancock said Tuesday that 4/20 marijuana rally organizers’ initial stance sanctioning pot-smoking at the event make him hesitant to issue them a permit.
Top Colorado federal prosecutor testifies to Congress on legalization
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Colorado’s top federal prosecutor is scheduled to testify at a Congressional hearing Tuesday on his office’s approach to marijuana legalization in the state.
Attorney withdraws claim that toking up is legal at Denver 4/20 rally
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An attorney for Denver’s 4/20 marijuana rally has “rescinded and withdrawn” a controversial letter that said organizers would sanction public smoking of pot at the event.
Smoke shacks backlash billows for Colorado ski areas
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A swirling storm of social media backlash hit Vail Resorts last week as beloved secret structures on ski resort lands were destroyed in an effort to prevent marijuana consumption.
Colorado businesses cleaning up “stoner” image to appeal to mainstream
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Curiosity alone may not be enough to recast the marketing image of pot consumers as connoisseurs rather than loopy stoners, advertising pros say. And while pot businesses may want to attract a wider range of consumers, they can’t afford to offend their existing customer base.
Marijuana triggered two deaths, say researchers in Germany
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Cannabis use likely triggered fatal complications that led to the deaths of two men with underlying health conditions, according to scientists in Germany.
No 4/20 smokeout at CU-Boulder: campus closing
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For the third year in a row, the University of Colorado plans to close its Boulder campus on April 20 to curtail an “unwanted 4/20 gathering,” according to a statement released Friday morning by Chancellor Phil DiStefano.
Top secret: Pot businesses aren’t sharing bank info
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Marijuana business owners looking for banks willing to handle their accounts are finding resistance in the most unlikely place: their own industry. Why is it such a trade secret?
Editorial: An ominous clash over Denver 4/20 rally permit
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The organizers of this year’s 4/20 marijuana rally at Civic Center in Denver seem determined to provoke city officials into denying their request for a permit. Why else would they proclaim a bogus right to break the law by using pot at the event?
Volunteers wanted: Jefferson County forms a marijuana task force
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The Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners has launched its search for participants in its marijuana task force to help the county determine its direction for recreational marijuana sales.
Denver 4/20 rally at risk? Organizers’ letter draws ire
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Denver city officials are weighing whether they will issue a 4/20 rally permit for use of Civic Center park after receiving a letter from an attorney for the event that said organizers would encourage open marijuana smoking.
Colorado lawmakers don’t want to burn through pot tax revenue
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Handed a budget proposal that predicts sky-high marijuana tax revenue, Colorado lawmakers say they will move cautiously in deciding how much to spend.
Pueblo County hauls in $56K for January pot tax revenue
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A southern Colorado county with two recreational marijuana stores has become the first in the state to announce tax totals from the new industry. Pueblo County finance authorities announced that its two shops had about $1 million in total sales in January, producing about $56,000 in local sales taxes.
Stoned driving: 60 cited in Jan., more law officer training
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Colorado State Patrol officers cited 60 people in January for driving offenses in which marijuana was believed to be involved. Colorado law officers are receiving more training so they will be able to spot drivers who are high and to differentiate them from alcohol-impaired drivers.
“Colorado Pot Rush” has motherlode of info, views
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NBC News contributor Harry Smith returns to his old Colorado stomping grounds to lead a proper tour of the local pot industry. “Marijuana in America: Colorado Pot Rush,” premieres Feb. 26 at 8 p.m. MST on CNBC. It’s either the end of Prohibition II or the beginning of a dangerous social experiment. Viewers will decide.
Opinion: Confusion reigns over pot policies; blaming White House isn’t answer
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Federal law makes it a crime to grow, sell or possess cannabis. New state laws in Colorado and Washington state permit those activities, and officials there are issuing licenses to local companies, which are still committing a crime under federal law.
4/20 at Red Rocks: Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa
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Red Rocks Amphitheatre has seen some of the biggest smoker friendly concerts on 4/20. But this year’s lineup could cause the biggest cloud yet to form over the foothills venue. Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa, YG and Smoke DZA have announced a show that has been dubbed Snoop’s 4/20 Wellness Retreat Denver.
Gov. Hickenlooper urges caution for fellow governors when it comes to legalization
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All the buzz at the National Governors Association meeting over legalizing pot, some say, is just smoke. Nearly two months after Colorado began selling recreational marijuana, the nation’s governors are taking a cautious approach to loosening their drug laws.
Girl Scouts selling cookies by pot shops? OK in San Fran, no way in Colorado
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Looking to drum up some new business, 13-year-old Girl Scout Danielle Lei and her mom set out for a San Francisco medical marijuana clinic on Monday, armed with boxes of Tagalongs, Dulce de Leches and other cookie varieties she and other scouts sell annually. Any patients at The Green Cross with the munchies didn’t stand a chance.
Hickenlooper: $1 billion in pot sales expected next fiscal year
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Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper’s budget office says it expects the recreational and medical marijuana industries combined to pump nearly $134 million in tax and fee revenue into state coffers in the fiscal year beginning in July.
Banks won’t finance properties where pot businesses are located
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Bankers with commercial loans on properties that lease to a marijuana business say they’re unlikely to refinance the loans when they come due — contrary to normal business practices — leaving some property owners scrambling for financing.
Boulder County finally enters recreational fray as two stores open
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Nearly two months after becoming legal in Colorado, recreational marijuana sales finally arrived in Boulder County as two shops opened their doors Tuesday.
4/20 eve music: Paper Diamond in Denver
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If there’s any date you want your electronic act to play a Denver show it’s 4/20. So it makes sense that Colorado producer Paper Diamond changed his March 15 show at the Ogden Theatre to accommodate the day to celebrate weed.
Boulder County recreational pot sales begin
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Karing Kind, a mile north of Boulder, became the first marijuana store to sell recreational marijuana to the general public in Boulder County when it opened around 10:20 a.m. today. The opening was delayed slightly after owner Dylan Donaldson got stuck in traffic.
Colo.-grown Charlotte’s Web rising in popularity
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More than 100 families have relocated to Colorado Springs since the “Charlotte’s Web” story first began spreading last summer, according to Paige Figi and her husband and the five brothers who grow the special marijuana strain used to make an anti-seizure drug and sell it at cost through a nonprofit.
