Browsing Colorado

A series of bills that will govern the cultivation, taxation, and sale of recreational cannabis in Colorado was signed into law on Tuesday. Shortly after the Washington Liquor Control Board announced its draft regulations for the state’s new recreational marijuana industry, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper signed similar measures into law to regulate his own state. These measures officially establish the state as the world’s first taxed and regulated market for cannabis. “We applaud Gov. Hickenlooper for the initiative he has taken to ensure the world’s first legal marijuana market for …

After 40+ years for some enthusiasts, the first legal US Cannabis Cup came to a successful end Sunday night after the most memorable marijuana festival in the nations history. According to a High Times representative, the event was expected to see an estimated 16,000 marijuana professionals and enthusiasts alike over the course of the weekends events. Thousands of low-eyed aficionados mulled amongst the hundreds of booths that spanned Larimer and Walnut streets spending their money on new rigs, clothing, and tons of other merchandise. Although the High Times Cannabis Cup event has been held at the Exdo center in Denver …

Despite the delay in establishing a regulatory system for recreational marijuana, the industry for medical marijuana in Colorado is absolutely booming. Colorado may have the largest medical marijuana system in the United States with close to 1,440 dispensaries, grow centers, and marijuana infused-product businesses statewide. Even still, state auditors released a report on Tuesday, March 26th, that highlighted numerous flaws in the enforcement of Colorado’s medical marijuana system – a responsibility that falls on the state’s Medical Marijuana Enforcement Division (MMED), a unit of the Department of Revenue. According to the report, the short fallings of the division involve everything …

Colorado’s Amendment 64 Implementation Task Force officially completed its final report on the full implementation of the state’s new recreational bill on March 13th. The group had until February 28th to complete the task of creating regulations for how the state ought to implement the new recreational law. That’s right, ought to. The task force’s report is simply a rough draft, or a recommendation, for the state lawmakers to use in their decision-making. Final marijuana regulations will be decided by a special marijuana committee that has been created in the state to deal …

Colorado’s House Judiciary Committee passed House Bill 1114 in an 11-0 vote on Tuesday night. Under the new bill, drivers caught with 5 nanograms of THC in their blood stream would be considered to be ‘driving under the influence of marijuana’. Although this is not the first time a marijuana DUI bill has been introduced to the Colorado legislature, previous attempts have been criticized and shot down. Opponents have argued that the 5-nanogram limit is too strict for regular pot smokers, especially medical marijuana patients who rely on the plant as a daily medicine. Some argue there …