News

BLM

 

The cannabis community has come together nationally as an ally to Black Lives Matter, the political and social movement emphasizing basic human rights and racial equality for Black people. Some key resources are below.

  How the movement may impact the industry  

Black owned businesses to support in
and around Denver  

 Organizations working for social justice, diversity
and community empowerment   

Organizations fighting for BIPOC justice
and equality   

They like us. They really like us!

 

Colorado marijuana edibles will be in Oscar nominee gift bags this year.  Well, kind of. Like everything in Hollywood, this is a bit smoke and mirrors. Since it’s still illegal to provide the public with edible samples, the nominees won’t receive the actual product, but will receive an IOU to cash in whenever they want. 

All the news…

Guaranteed to be the top-clicked story in the newsletter 

 We were going to ignore this . . . but just couldn’t.  Cannabis and sex.  Read More »

Getting what you need 

Americans for Safe Access have put out a U.S. travel guide for medical cannabis patients so they have access to safe and legal cannabis.

There are currently 47 states and four territories with some form of a medical cannabis law, but the rights and privileges they extend to medical cannabis patients vary among them. As a result, patients who travel for personal or employment reasons can find themselves unsure as to how to access medical cannabis in an unfamiliar place.” More »

Thinking outside the box 

States with marijuana dispensaries flush with cash are exploring banking workarounds using credit unions, digital currencies, and payment apps. More »

We got this

An interesting Q and A with Natalie Riggins, program manager for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment MMJ Registry, who discusses implementation of new legislation on medical marijuana.

Westword Article »

Related: Doctors can recommend cannabis in place of opioids Read »

Cannabis love connection 

When cannabis is featured as the way two people met, fell in love and got married in the Vows section of The New York Times, you know things have changed.
Read »

NIMBYers take note

The impacts of regulated retail dispensaries is associated with a decrease in local criminal activity, according to a new study in Regional Science and Urban Economics. The study was conducted in Denver. 

“Overall, our results suggest that dispensaries cause an overall reduction in crime in neighborhoods, with no evidence of spillovers to surrounding neighborhoods. … Our results are consistent with theories that predict that marijuana legalization will displace illicit criminal organizations and decrease crime through changes in security behaviors or substitution toward more harmful substances. … Lastly, there is no evidence that increased marijuana use itself results in additional crime.”

More »

CBD and Parkinson’s 

CU Anschutz researchers jumped through seemingly endless government hoops to study CBD and Parkinson’s. What they found is that participants reported they felt less irritable and that they were sleeping better. They even saw that some of their motor symptoms, including stiffness and slowness, improved.

The researchers are helping others navigate the red tape to do more studies. 

Read More »

File under “trust, but verify”

President Trump said last week that his administration is allowing states to set their own marijuana policies.

“We’re going to see what’s going on. It’s a very big subject and right now we are allowing states to make that decision,” Trump said. “A lot of states are making that decision, but we’re allowing states to make that decision.”

Read More »

Streamlining Denver 

City regulators are streamlining the application and inspection processes for marijuana license transfer of ownership.  Information » 

Bloomberg looks at how states are working to create solutions to take tax payments from marijuana businesses.

Reefer Madness or Pot Paradise?

So asks The New York Times as it looks at Colorado’s legacy as the first state in the nation to legalize adult-use cannabis. 

Read the Article »

Headlines

NY couldn’t get it across the finish line

A recent poll showed that 55 percent of voters supported legalization, but New York’s plan to legalize marijuana collapsed Wednesday, “dashing hopes for a potential billion-dollar industry that supporters said would create jobs in minority communities and end decades of racially disproportionate policing.”

More »

 


When banks won’t give you lines of credit, why not create your own?

Columbia Care has introduced the industry’s first cannabis credit card. 

“Columbia Care initiated its CNC Card on a trial basis in New York State in the second half of 2018. What the company found was that, when compared to other forms of payment, those folks who purchased cannabis products with the CNC Card had a basket size that was 18% larger for in-store purchases.”

 More »


At least no one in Colorado built an 8,000 sq. ft. social consumption facility that’s now useless…

The Nevada Legislature pulled the rug out from under Las Vegas with Assembly Bill 533 that overrode the Las Vegas City Council’s work of over two years in licensing social use cannabis venues. Venues now have to wait until at least 2021. From Leafly, “Las Vegas OK’d Cannabis Lounges but Nevada Just Said No.” More »

Come for the stories of entrepreneurs having to shelve their plans indefinitely, but stay for an understanding of the remarkable political pull large casinos have in the way policy is crafted and implemented. 

So why do people support cannabis legalization? 

As public support for legalizing marijuana has surged, a new Gallup poll finds 86% of U.S. supporters of legal marijuana saying its medicinal benefits are a very important reason they support legalization. Majorities also say freeing up police resources to focus on other crimes, respecting people’s personal freedom, and generating tax revenue for state and local governments are key reasons for their support.

View the Poll »

Farmer and rancher perceptions of cannabis reflect nationwide acceptance

In a recent Farm Journal survey, respondents said they were more comfortable with CBD and medical applications of cannabis than THC and recreational applications. Survey respondents also were more agreeable to growing than consuming cannabis. To see their perceptions in one chart Click Here »

Headlines

As cannabis prices fall, states may have to go back to the drawing board

Policy analysts says states like Colorado may have to rethink their taxing schemes.

Washtigton Post Article »


10th Circuit to rule on cannabis workers protections

The appeals court will decide whether workers in Colorado’s legal marijuana industry are entitled to wage and hour protections under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Read More »


Longmont gets first adult-use dispensary

Elected officials, city leaders and other celebrate the opening of Terrapin’s sixth store, the first in Longmont.

Times Call Article »


State awards $2.7 million for studies on therapeutic uses of cannabis

One will research marijuana as an alternative to opiods for chronic spine pain; the other  will look at CBD and autism.

Read More »

Headlines

Marijuana and the elderly

Survey shows nearly half of older marijuana consumers in Colorado use cannabis products at least weekly for chronic pain, depression, anxiety and insomnia.

Read More »


Noxious odor verdict favorable for growers

University of Denver expert says case may reduce RICO liability for growers.

Read More »


Holiday treats

Denver baker turns cannabis into seasonal gourmet goodies.

Read the 5280 article »

From the baseline …

The Colorado Division of Criminal Justice released a baseline report on the impacts of marijuana legalization Friday. Colorado Leads is working on a summary so you don’t have to read the entire 266-page report. But if you want to, you can find it here.

“We now have that ever-critical baseline from which we can spot trends so Colorado’s leaders understand where our efforts are succeeding and identify areas where we need to focus additional research, resources or even new policy,” said Gov. John Hickenlooper.

More on this…