You know you’ve made the Big Time when . . .
Jeopardy featured a question about the first legal recreational marijuana sale in the U.S. And Alex Trebek actually said the words “Bubba Kush.” Awkward.
News
The new Colorado U.S. Attorney weighs in
U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn says he agrees with rescinding the Cole Memo, but says “jury is still out” on enforcement around marijuana concentrates. He also said that he recognizes the relationship between states’ legal marijuana industries and the federal government isn’t sustainable, but declined to comment on legislation from U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner that would keep law enforcement from stepping in.
It’s Official!
And in closing, The Onion officially endorsed legal marijuana. The reasons are well, unique. A sampling:
”Ending the prohibition on cannabis will send a clear message that we are a society on the verge of collapse, and hopefully inspire the citizens of this nation to make the final push over the edge.”
Legislative Update
With less than four weeks left until the end of the Colorado legislative session, lawmakers are acting on several cannabis-related bills ranging from cannabis delivery to public investment to tasting rooms. One, a bill adding autism spectrum disorders as a medical cannabis-qualifying condition, was already signed by Colorado Gov. Jared Polis.
Chuck Smith, president of Colorado Leads, was quoted in The Denver Post about the need for public and private investment in the cannabis industry.
Both the cannabis delivery and hospitality bills advanced in the House.
The state’s current medical and recreational marijuana laws are set to sunset in September of this year, so lawmakers have been reviewing the laws and regulations.
And The Colorado Sun looked at the increasing political clout wielded by Colorado’s cannabis industry.
“intolerable”
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.
In the News
Take it to the bank
U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Manuchin told a federal lawmakers that there is no regulatory solution to existing banking access issues for the marijuana industry, and he encouraged Congress to resolve the problem with legislation “on a bipartisan basis.”
Cannabis helping kids stand up to bullies
Parkview Elementary School in Lamar uses more than $100,000 a year it receives from the state’s cannabis taxes for its anti-bullying program. The program has made a big difference in the lives of elementary school kids.
No legal immigrants need apply?
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock and City Attorney Kristin Bronson are pressing the Trump administration to rethink its citizenship policies after legal immigrants in Denver have been denied the opportunity to become naturalized citizens because they work in the marijuana industry.
Is the cannabis industry overregulated?
The Associated Press looks at cannabis laws in Colorado and other states to see if industry over-regulation is stifling growth. As one person said: “Pioneers get slaughtered, and settlers get fat.”
Pest alert!
The list for pesticides that can be used on cannabis without being a violation of the Pesticide Applicators’ Act has been updated to include Fungicide Fortify.
Inside the Beltway . . .
The National Institute on Drug Abuse released a job posting seeking a contractor to roll marijuana joints “within a range of varying concentrations of delta-9-THC and analyze strength and stability of them.”
The Food and Drug Administration has scheduled a public hearing on CBD regulations for May 31.
Colorado’s cannabis lobby gaining new clout
This will be a big year for the industry, with marijuana regulations sunsetting and bills vetoed by former Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper resurfacing. And the cannabis lobby at the Capitol is growing, in numbers, spending and stature. Cannabis lobby gains new clout in Colorado as its spending tripled in the past five years.
For a review of the cannabis bills introduced in the 2019 Colorado legislature, please go here
Goodbye tech, hello cannabis
The fastest-growing industry in the U.S. right now is cannabis. The marijuana industry added 64,389 jobs in 2018, an increase of 44% from the year before, according to a new report from the cannabis website Leafly and Whitney Economics.
Marijuana is the fastest-growing sector in the US job market