Quoteables
“There’s less crime, there’s less people in jail, and there’s money now earmarked for education,”
Television travel guide Rick Steves told Illinois lawmakers about the difference in states with legal cannabis industries.
News
Colorado Leads Members in the News….
Amendment 64 Co-Author Brian Vicente on Colorado Legal Pot’s Fifth Birthday
Chuck Smith, chief operating officer of Dixie Brands, talks about cannabis-infused drinks.
Progress Big and Small
Voters in Rocky Ford, known primarily for its cantaloupes, approved the retail sale of marijuana last week.
Things that Make You Go Hmm…
Molson Coors Brewing Company is looking into possible expansion into the marijuana industry.
Marijuana and Opioids
Marijuana legalization in Colorado led to a “reversal” of opiate overdose deaths in that state, according to new research published in the American Journal of Public Health, writes The Washington Post. While the results are preliminary, it is one of the first studies to look at the impact of recreational marijuana laws on opioid deaths.
Larisa Bolivar, the executive director of the Cannabis Consumers Coalition, weighs in on the opioid epidemic with a guest commentary in The Denver Post.
The Sky Isn’t Falling
There are no “significant issues as a result of legalization,” said Larry Wolk, Colorado’s chief health officer. And this is true across the board, he said.
Listen to Wolk’s interview with a radio morning-show broadcast on Prince Edward Island in Canada here.
Colorado Cannabis Tax Money Aimed at Solving Teacher Shortages
The $10 million was earmarked to take on the problems of hiring and retaining teachers in Colorado by Gov. John Hickenlooper in his proposed 2018-19 budget released earlier this month. Suggested solutions include boosting salaries and streamlining the licensing process.
Americans Opinions have Changed on Marijuana Legalization
For the first time, a majority of Americans – including registered Republicans – support legalizing marijuana. Overall, 64 percent of Americans now support legalization, the highest percentage ever reported in Gallup polling.