Gov. Jared Polis recently hired Ean Seeb, a founding partner at a cannabis business consulting firm, to serve as his special adviser on cannabis. Seeb will serve as the governor’s adviser for marijuana bills going through the legislature and be a liaison with the department of revenue, which oversees marijuana enforcement, among other state agencies.
U.S. Sen./presidential hopeful Michael Bennet joked on Seth Meyers that Denver decriminalized psychedelic mushrooms, fearing that Colorado is running out of marijuana.
“And by the way, we’re not out of marijuana in Colorado,” Bennet said.
“That’s what it says on the state flag now, right?” Meyers said.
“Yeah, exactly,” Bennet replied.
Colorado senators lead way on legalization of marijuanaU.S. Sens. Cory Gardner and Michael Bennet take the lead on the STATES Act and the SAFE Banking Act.
Four Colorado Congressional Members wrote to the heads of the Department of Justice and Homeland Security about the policy that punishes immigrants for allegedly not having “good moral character” as a result of working in the marijuana industry.
Former Colorado Cannabis Czar Andrew Freedman appeared on a Rhode Island news show warning that legal cannabis is not necessarily a “cash windfall” and says he supports banning home grows because “it would save lives.”
The federal government’s approach to states that have legalized marijuana is “intolerable.”So said U.S. Attorney General William Barr Wednesday during a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing that he would prefer the U.S. take an approach to marijuana similar to the one outlined in the states’ rights marijuana bill sponsored by Colorado’s U.S. senators over the current system.
Kim Kardashian is planning a CBD-themed baby shower.
Scott Gottlieb, commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), resigned Tuesday, raising questions about the status of cannabidiol (CBD). Recently, Gottlieb told a congressional committee that the FDA was “deeply focused” on finding an appropriate way to handle CBD. Although Congress’ passed the farm bill in late 2018, which seemed to open the door to legal CBD, the DEA still considers nonprescribed CBD to be an illegal Schedule I drug, and many legal scholars caution against assuming that CBD is legal.
John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods said that “chances are good” the company will begin selling marijuana products in its stores as more states legalize. He also mentioned the company would consider selling “alternative proteins” such as insects. More »
This may be a golden business opportunity for former Colorado U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer, who planned to start a cricket farm after leaving his position last year. The former top prosecutor eats cricket powder himself, and said he believes insect protein will be part of the sustainable food system of the future with the increase in global warming. More »
Former Mexican President Vicente Fox, who calls himself a soldier in the global campaign to legalize marijuana, joined the board of directors for Denver-based Helix TCS. Fox is also on the board of High Times. Más »
Maybe it’s the potential money. Maybe it’s Snoop’s influence. Or maybe she overly embraced her prison nickname (M. Diddy). But Martha Stewart has teamed up with a Canadian cannabis company to create and promote a new line of hemp-based CBD products. Stewart is joining the Canadian marijuana company Canopy Growth as an adviser to help them develop cannabis products for people and their pets. It’s unclear if Stewart’s products will be served in one of her famous decorative gourds.
Stewart will join her friend Snoop, who together co-host the VH1 talk show “Martha and Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party.” Snoop Dogg has partnered with Canopy for the last three years.
Hawaii, yes liberal Hawaii which is considered politically left of California, decided not to legalize adult-use cannabis. Again.
U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO), who sits on the House Financial Services Committee, purportedly “guaranteed” that a bill allowing banks to legally service state-regulated marijuana companies “is “going to pass the House overwhelmingly” according to former U.S. Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA). “Democrats want it. Banks want it. The Republicans are split. But the main obstacle before was [former Attorney General] Jeff Sessions, who was obstinate on this, and now he’s gone,” said Frank, who has joined with Beantown Greentown, a local group of underground growers, marketers, and event organizers trying to go legit.
Even Denver Mayor Michael Hancock weighed in, tweeting: “Time is long overdue for marijuana businesses to have access to the same banking and financial services that other legitimate U.S. businesses have. Let’s make this happen.”