Medical Marijuana Colorado News Blog
19 Feb 2012 Fort Collins, Colorado Springs Differ on Regulating Medical Marijuana
Fort Collins, Colorado Springs Differ on Regulating Medical Marijuana Around Schools - In the latest from an ongoing joint investigation, a special report on ...
18 Feb 2012 Marijuana activists make 2nd attempt for Colorado ballot
9NEWS.com
AP DENVER - Marijuana legalization activists in Colorado say they won't fall short this time making statewide ballots. The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol turned in some 14000 petition signatures to the Colorado Secretary of State on Friday ...
17 Feb 2012 Medical Marijuana Shops Close To Schools Will Move Rather Than Fight
CBS Local
DENVER (CBS4)- Nearly two dozen medical marijuana dispensaries located near schools are indicating they will move or close, rather than fight an order by the US Attorney for Colorado. US Attorney John Walsh said 23 dispensaries within 1000 feet of ...
16 Feb 2012 Boulder attorney urges some medical marijuana shops to move
Colorado Daily
*Locations are based on the most recent city of Boulder medical marijuana business licenses. Some locations may have a business license but are not in operation. A Boulder attorney who specializes in medical marijuana is urging dispensaries in the city ...
15 Feb 2012 Deadline looms for Summit County on medical marijuana regulation
Summit Daily News
County staff said there are currently few viable places for a medical marijuana retail location to open its doors in unincorporated Summit County and suggested the possibility of only allowing grow operations, a policy that would be unique in Colorado ...
14 Feb 2012 EdNews: Impact of Medical Marijuana Bans
KUNC
By Education News Colorado It may be too early for definitive evidence but the answer for two communities, at least, seems to be no. Virtually all of the 85 communities and local government councils enacting dispensary bans have done so in 2010
13 Feb 2012 A Tale of Two Medical Marijuana Cities
KUNC
By Education News Colorado and Solutions This collage shows a group from the more than a dozen medical marijuana dispensaries along West Colorado Avenue in Colorado Springs on Jan. 27, 2012. Sometime on Saturday, Steve Ackerman sold his last joint.
12 Feb 2012 Taxes on medical marijuana help shore up reeling budgets
Bend Bulletin
Colorado Springs collected more than $700000 in taxes from the medical marijuana industry in 2011. It is not a lot of money for a big city. But given the harsh steps the city has taken in recent years — in 2010 it shut off a third of its streetlights ...
11 Feb 2012 Colorado Judge Denies Request to Block Fort Collins' Ban on ...
Colorado Judge Denies Request to Block Fort Collins' Ban on Medical Marijuana Businesses. By The Associated Press - Thursday, February 9 2012. Tags: ...
10 Feb 2012 Will Taxes Doom The Medical Marijuana Industry?
THE Weed Blog (blog)
It's not even one of the more popular medical marijuana dispensaries either! I have a few close friends that operate medical marijuana dispensaries in Oregon, California, and Colorado. I always ask them how are they going to handle their taxes since ...
9 Feb 2012 CannaBiz: Sad story at Natural Remedies MMJ
Colorado Springs Independent
"At first we were going to move to California and start our own little grow, but now we've decided, the fuck with medical marijuana because we can't take any chances. We're too young, and we can't both have our names screwed up, because I could ...
8 Feb 2012 Fort Collins moves to shut down medical marijuana outlets
The Coloradoan
Medical marijuana businesses are a step closer to officially disappearing from Fort Collins. The City Council on Tuesday gave initial approval to a set of ordinances that repeal elements in city code that allow for the licensing and operation of ...
7 Feb 2012 Court Of Appeals Says No Medical Marijuana Use While On Probation
Huffington Post
Medical marijuana users in Colorado that also happen to be in the process of completing their probationary sentence are having a bad day. The Colorado Court of Appeals has sided with an Arapahoe County District Attorney who argued that a registered ...
6 Feb 2012 Colorado Marijuana Legalization Initiative Falls Short, But ...
Colorado Marijuana Legalization Initiative Falls Short
5 Feb 2012 Colorado appeals court: Probationers can't use medical marijuana because it ...
The Republic
AP DENVER — The Colorado Court of Appeals is backing an Arapahoe County prosecutor who argued that a registered medical marijuana user can't use pot while on probation because it violates federal law.
4 Feb 2012 Altitude Organic to Buy Colorado Marijuana Dispensaries Amid ...
Owners of Colorado cannabis dispensaries who want to get out of the medical marijuana industry or simply turn a quick profit might find their savior in ...
3 Feb 2012 Nat Geo sparking up “Weed” series featuring Indispensary Growers, the Stanley Brothers
Realscreen
National Geographic Channel will premiere American Weed, a series delving into the world of growing and selling medical marijuana in Colorado, on February 22. The series, produced by National Geographic Television, will examine both sides of the legal ...
2 Feb 2012 Fort Collins Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Challenge Ban in Court
KUNC
By Grace Hood Kind Care of Colorado is one of six medical marijuana dispensaries challenging the voter-approved ban. Six medical marijuana dispensary owners in Fort Collins are suing for the right to stay open. The businesses are seeking a temporary ...
1 Feb 2012 Encouraging signs for marijuana industry
Aspen Times
Regarding “County pursues licensing for medical marijuana” (Jan. 18, The Aspen Times), we do know what the federal government is going to do. It's reasonable to assume the prohibitionist federal government will not interfere with Colorado state medical ...
31 Jan 2012 Pot legalization efforts forge ahead in key states
Reuters
While 16 states, including Washington and Colorado, along with the nation's capital, now allow marijuana use for medical purposes, cannabis remains an illegal narcotic under US law - and public opinion is sharply divided on the merits of full ...
30 Jan 2012 Medical Marijuana: A Growing Field | Local Product of Colorado ...
Medical Marijuana: A Growing Field Once upon a time marijuana was looked at in a very harsh way and even those who smoked marijuana were looked at as ...
29 Jan 2012 Fort Collins marijuana centers prepare for closing day
The Coloradoan
Medical marijuana businesses in Fort Collins have about two weeks to clean up their affairs and close their doors. A voter-approved ban on marijuana dispensaries and grow operations in the city goes into effect Feb. 14. Several businesses already have ...
28 Jan 2012 Former US attorney says pot's status should be reassessed
Denver Post
By John Ingold Former Colorado US Attorney Troy Eid said Friday the federal government should re-evaluate marijuana's potential for medical benefit. But Eid stood by federal laws that keep marijuana strictly controlled
27 Jan 2012 Colorado Medical Marijuana Patient Decline – High Country Caregiver
For the fifth straight month in a row Colorado medical marijuana patient numbers according to the CDPHE medical marijuana registry continue to fall. June of ...
26 Jan 2012 Medical marijuana: Jared Polis shrugs off seizure letters amid sellout claims
Westword (blog)
27 2012 at 6:02 AM US Attorney John Walsh's seizure letters to 23 dispensaries near schools sent shock waves through the local medical marijuana community, since most if not all of the centers were legal under Colorado law.
25 Jan 2012 Medical marijuana patient numbers in Colorado decline for fifth month in a row
Westword (blog)
27 2012 at 8:41 AM For the fifth month in a row, thousands of patients have dropped off the Colorado medical marijuana registry. From October to November 2011, the registry lost more than 8000 patients, according to statistics released yesterday by ...
24 Jan 2012 Marijuana at the Crossroads: Event asks if MMJ lawyers are breaking oath
Westword (blog)
Medical marijuana law is a moving target, since its particulars seem to shift on a seemingly daily basis. Take US Attorney John Walsh's seizure letters to 23 dispensaries near schools, many, if not all, of which appear to be legal under Colorado's ...
23 Jan 2012 'Walmart of Weed'
WJLA
The store's owner hopes to rack up the green as DC legalizes medical marijuana. In addition to locations in California, the franchise is expanding to Arizona, Colorado and the District, where medical marijuana has become legal, despite federal warnings ...
22 Jan 2012 US Attorney John Walsh justifies federal crackdown on medical-marijuana shops
Denver Post
By John Ingold US Attorney John Walsh said Thursday evidence that medical marijuana is having a detrimental impact on Colorado kids spurred his decision to crack down on dispensaries near schools. Walsh, in the strongest federal action against ...
21 Jan 2012 State rep on school setbacks: 'Good enough for pot shops, good enough for ...
The Colorado Independent
It also requires medical marijuana dispensaries to be 1000 feet from schools, and liquor stories to be 500 feet away. US Attorney John Walsh last week sent letters to 23 medical marijuana dispensaries in Colorado that are within 1000 feet of schools, ...
20 Jan 2012 Medical marijuana businesses in Pitkin County are in legal limbo
Westword (blog)
... Ely advised against adopting medical marijuana regulations, saying that doing so would put the county in violation of federal laws. "The conduct that is contemplated in the statutes of Colorado is illegal," Ely said to commissioners at the time. ...
19 Jan 2012 Bill seeks to allow Colo. medical marijuana to form financial cooperatives
The Republic
AP DENVER — Colorado medical marijuana businesses would be able form a financial cooperative similar to a credit union under a proposal introduced in the state Senate. Lawmakers say the legislation's goal is to provide a paper trial of business ...
18 Jan 2012 Boulder moratorium on new medical marijuana dispensaries moves forward
Daily Camera
By Mitchell Byars Camera Staff Writer Boulder leaders Tuesday night approved a first reading of a six-month moratorium on medical marijuana business licenses. The measure is now scheduled for a public hearing Feb. 7. Last week, the City Council ...
17 Jan 2012 The Case for Treating PTSD in Veterans With Medical Marijuana
The Atlantic
In neighboring Colorado, the state's legislature failed to pass a proposal mirroring New Mexico's. It effectively forbade Colorado's large veteran population from citing PTSD on medical marijuana applications. Brian Vicente, of the Sensible Colorado ...
15 Jan 2012 MMJ Community Responds to Federal Crackdown
KJCT8.com
"Medical Marijuana Centers in Colorado comply with the most stringent regulations in any state with medical marijuana laws," the statement read. "Our businesses sell tightly regulated and tracked medicinal products to patients with severe and chronic ...
14 Jan 2012 Colorado lawmaker to resubmit stoned-driving bill
Denver Post
"At the forefront of that is the protection and the safety of the traveling public of Colorado. Driving is not a right. It is a privilege." Carroll said a zero-tolerance level would require medical-marijuana patients to pick between their chosen ...
13 Jan 2012 Colorado medical marijuana businesses brace for federal crackdown
Yellow Scene
Ever since the Great Green Rush of 2009, which saw an unprecedented surge of medical marijuana ganjapreneurialism in Colorado, dispensary owners and commercial cannabis growers have only had to contend with state and local officials to remain in ...
13 Jan 2012 Medical Marijuana Crackdown Starts In Colorado - News Story ...
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Federal officials are starting a California-style crackdown on Medical Marijuana businesses in Colorado. Friday, January 13, 2012.
12 Jan 2012 Could 2012 be a banner year for drug law reform?
Examiner.com
Recently, both Colorado and Washington State submitted their marijuana legalization initiatives with far more signatures than the required amount, while a myriad of others are considering medical marijuana initiatives. Activists in Michigan are also ...
11 Jan 2012 Summit County extends pot moratorium
Summit Daily News
By Caddie Nath BRECKENRIDGE — The Summit Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to extend a moratorium on medical marijuana businesses, including retail centers and grow operations, through July. County officials have extended the now ...
10 Dec 2012 How To Keep Your Medical Marijuana Garden Legal In Colorado
THE Weed Blog (blog)
It is unfortunate that communities have decided to deny its citizens the right to procure legal and effective medicine in a safe and regulated environment.
10 Dec 2012 City sales tax collections fall for first time in more than 2 years
Colorado Springs Gazette
Medical marijuana: December collections of tax on medical marijuana and marijuana infused products brought in $67604, or about $6200 more than the month before and the fourth-highest month ever. The city collected nearly $710000 total from the sale of ...
6 Jan 2012 Federal Judge Tosses Medical Marijuana Case
MedPage Today
In addition to Arizona, 15 other states have medical marijuana laws -- Alaska, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.
5 Jan 2012 More signatures than needed gathered to introduce an amendment legalizing ...
The American Independent
By Scot Kersgaard This morning, proponents of a statewide initiative to legalize and regulate marijuana submitted nearly 160000 signatures in support of placing the measure on the 2012 ballot.
4 Jan 2012 Boulder Halts Licenses For New Medical Marijuana Dispensaries ...
By jnmcrae
Boulder Halts Licenses For New Medical Marijuana Dispensaries. January 4, 2012 3:19 PM. Share this. No comments. Medical Marijuana (credit: Colorado Department of Transportation) ...
2 Jan 2012 Marijuana Growing - Colorado Requests DEA to Reclassify Marijuana
In her letter, Brohl briefly explained the Colorado's regulations for sellers of medical marijuana.
2 Jan 2012 Tax revenue from medical marijuana in Colorado
During the 2011 fiscal year, the U.S. state of Colorado collected $5 Million in sales taxes from medical marijuana.Over 700 people are licensed to sell medical ...
1 Jan 2012 States say it's time to rethink medical marijuana
CNN International
By Matt Smith, CNN Colorado, Washington, Rhode Island and Vermont are asking federal officials to reclassify marijuana as a drug with medical use. (CNN) -- Medical marijuana
29 Dec 2011 APNewsBreak: CO seeks new marijuana classification, 3rd state to do so...
The Republic
The head of Colorado's Department of Revenue, the agency that oversees the state's booming medical marijuana business, sent the letter. It wasn't released to the public until Wedesday because of the Christmas holiday. Last month, the governors ...
27 Dec 2011 Colorado Marijuana Law Reform In 2012
The 420 Times
Sensible's Director, Brian Vicente, has been reappointed to the Colorado Medical Marijuana Regulatory Advisory Board where he will continue his role in ...
23 Dec 2011 Will feds target Colorado's medical pot industry? | Denver DUI ...
Will feds target Colorado's medical pot industry? On behalf of Charles L. Fife & Associates, P.C. posted in Marijuana. 19; December 2011. A few months ago, our ...
22 Dec 2011 Medical Marijuana Crackdown Coming to Colorado
A coordinated, statewide crackdown on medical marijuana might soon find its way to Colorado. In October, the federal government launched a coordinated ...
21 Dec 2011 Colorado Dispensaries Brace For Possible 2012 Fed Crackdown
The 420 Times
But with all the regulation in place over the Colorado medical marijuana industry, what need would the feds have to crackdown? In other words, what excuse would they use?
20 Dec 2011 Judge Throws Out Case in Longmont, Colorado | Medical Marijuana ...
Three medical marijuana dispensaries suing the City of Longmont in Colorado for violating constitutional rights in banning dispensaries had another blow when.
20 Dec 2011 Time For a California "Bureau of Medical Marijuana Enforcement"?
East Bay Express
Over in Colorado — where US Attorneys are not threatening city council-folk with federal prison — the first clubs in Denver are finishing their final permitting, overseen by the state's Medical Marijuana Enforcement Division. In 2011, about 850 ...
17 Dec 2011 Medical marijuana dispensaries in Longmont lose fight to reopen
The Republic
Medical marijuana dispensaries in Longmont have lost their fight to reopen after a city ban. The Daily Times-Call newspaper reports that Boulder District Judge Ingrid Bakke dismissed a lawsuit from three dispensaries on Friday
16 Dec 2011 Medical marijuana license delay hurts true patients
The Coloradoan
moments, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said last week that more than 4200 medical marijuana registry applications are on hold after law officers observed potential patients being seen by someone other than a doctor. ...
15 Dec 2011 Medical marijuana: Denver names first five licensed dispensaries
Westword (blog)
Colorado's Medical Marijuana Enforcement Division began issuing the first medical marijuana business licenses to dispensaries, grows and infused-product manufacturers around the state in October. So far, only 36 businesses have received licenses, ...
14 Dec 2011 Crackdown On Colorado's Medical Pot Business On The Horizon?
DENVER (CBS4) – Federal authorities are planning to crack down on the medical marijuana business in Colorado on a large scale for the first time. Warning ...
13 Dec 2011 Medical marijuana: CDPHE's Dr. Chris Urbina on physician assistants, patient ...
Westword (blog)
In a press release on Friday, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment finally addressed growing concern among patients about medical marijuana applications being denied because of issues with physician assistants allegedly performing ...
12 Dec 2011 Medical marijuana: CDPHE stats show 40,000 patient dip in registry
Westword (blog)
As of the end of October 2011, the medical marijuana registry had only 88872 patients with an active red card. That's the fewest number of patients in the state since May 2010. The Colorado Department of Public Health and ...
10 Dec 2011 $1M Worth Of Marijuana Seized
KMGH Denver
A total of approximately 175 pounds of high-grade marijuana was seized in this case, with a street value of approximately $1 million. The State of Colorado's Medical Marijuana Enforcement Division is investigating Cannabis and Co. and further actions ...
9 Dec 2011 Medical Marijuana Patients must wait 6 months to reapply if ... 4,200 applications on hold
Westword
As explained in a release on view below, Amendment 20, which legalized MMJ in Colorado, calls for examinations by physicians, and SB 109, passed by the ... If denied, applicants must wait 6 months to reapply.
9 Dec 2011 Health Department investigates possible medical marijuana fraud
Denver Post
The department said the scrutinized applications all contained medical marijuana recommendations from "certain identified physicians." The department did not name the doctors or say how many are under review. Under Colorado medical-marijuana law, ...
7 Dec 2011 Medical marijuana: Physician assistants the cause of delayed applications?
Westword (blog)
7 2011 at 3:28 PM The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment announced last week that as many as 4000 medical marijuana patient applications and renewals were being held up in order "to ensure patients and physicians are within ...
7 Dec 2011 Commissioners verify medical marijuana grow operations
Glenwood Springs Post Independent
GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colorado — Garfield County commissioners determined Monday that three medical marijuana growing facilities operating in unincorporated parts of the county were indeed in existence before a county moratorium on such businesses went ...
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6 Dec 2011 Cannabis doc's license on hold over '10 event; Parlor prescriptions ...
Trinidad Times Independent
The ad further stated that no medical records were required and posted a phone number for prospective patients to call for an appointment. The ad claimed that Dr. Mestas was a participating physician in the Colorado Medical Marijuana
6 Dec 2011 Colorado still considering 500 applications for medical marijuana ...
DENVER - The Colorado Department of Revenue says it has approved 26 of 500 applications to run marijuana dispensaries or marijuana centers.
5 Dec 2011 Pending Colorado Medical Marijuana Dispensary Applications Are ...
Colorado has been leading the way in rigid, lawful legislation for the Medical Marijuana movement, and it shows. Colorado started accepting applications for ...
4 Dec 2011 Banking Restrictions Interfering With Medical Marijuana In Colorado ...
Banking Restrictions Interfering With Medical Marijuana In Colorado
3 Dec 2011 City Sues Marijuana Dispensaries Too Close to Schools
Patch.com
Two Eagle Rock medical marijuana facilities are among nine citywide that are the latest target of the City Attorney's crackdown. By Ajay Singh Renaissance Arts Academy students hanging out at the Eagle Rock Library. Two Eagle Rock-based medical ...
2 Dec 2011 New study shows medical marijuana laws reduce traffic deaths ...
According to Rees and Anderson, the majority of registered medical marijuana patients in Arizona and Colorado are male. In Arizona, 75 percent of registered
1 Dec 2011 Why are MMJ patient numbers declining?
Colorado Springs Independent (blog)
We've recently been looking into the reason medical marijuana patient numbers in Colorado have fallen off a cliff in a two-month reporting period. Numbers as of Aug. 31 from the Colorado Department of Public Health
1 Dec 2011 Medical marijuana: 14 percent of MMJ patient applications being held up by CDPHE
Westword (blog)
Last month, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment released statistics for the medical marijuana registry showing a roughly 20 percent decrease in patients from August to September.
30 Nov 2011 "Weed TV" Set to Provoke Investor Interest in Medical Marijuana
Minyanville.com
... the world's first publicly traded marijuana company, grows and distributes cannabis for a variety of medical conditions including multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, arthritis, glaucoma, and AIDS. Colorado Springs-based Cannabis Science Inc.
30 Nov 2011 LA sues to force pot dispensaries to close
Los Angeles Times
By John Hoeffel, Los Angeles Times Los Angeles has sued nine medical marijuana dispensaries to force them to close immediately and permanently, even as more boldly open throughout the city, often in prominent locations.
28 Nov 2011 Is Colorado Gaining a First Mover Advantage in the Marijuana Industry?
Wall St. Cheat Sheet
By Ashley Cloninger While 16 US states have legalized medical marijuana, only Colorado has made it legal to run the distribution points as for-profit businesses, which is leading to a “green rush,” as Bloomberg's Eric Spitznagel calls it. ...
26 Nov 2011 Polls, dispensary bans show Coloradans are split over possibly legalizing ...
Denver Post
But Ray Martinez, who this year led a successful effort to ban dispensaries in Fort Collins, said the explosion of dispensaries since the passage of Colorado's medical-marijuana law has proved a cautionary tale for Colorado voters. ...
25 Nov 2011 Banking Restrictions Interfering With Medical Marijuana In Colorado
THE Weed Blog
By Steve Elliott of Toke of the Town Colorado medical marijuana business owners are desperately writing letters to every bank in the country asking if they can please, oh please, just have a bank account. About 150 dispensary owners across the state...
15 Nov 2011 Colorado Springs medical marijuana shop robbed, clerk assaulted
Denver Post
By Kieran Nicholson A medical marijuana dispensary was robbed in Colorado Springs on Monday morning and the clerk was assaulted. The robbery and assault happened at about 12:20 am at The Indispensary, 3044 W. Colorado Ave., according to the Colorado...
15 Nov 2011 Medical marijuana patient red card wait: 60 days & counting even though check ...
Westword (blog)
Although Colorado Department of Health spokesman Mark Salley says red card renewal time for medical marijuana patients remains under 35 days, we keep hearing different stories.
13 Nov 2011 Three area medical marijuana centers may be closed ...
GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colorado — Three medical marijuana dispensaries are in danger of closure by the state on procedural grounds
12 Nov 2011 Cripple Creek City Council to look at residential MMJ cultivation
Our Colorado News
Colorado municipalities can't stop a licensed medical marijuana user's constitutional right to grow marijuana for private use but they can regulate residential marijuana growing through zoning,
10 Nov 2011 MMJ: So you think you can bank? State, city council hope so
Colorado Springs Independent (blog)
We brought you a little bit from Colorado Springs Medical Cannabis Council president Tanya Garduno in this week's CannaBiz, but there's more about the medical marijuana industry's perilous banking situation
9 Nov 2011 Cultivation center loses business license
Our Colorado News
During a routine check of cultivation centers and dispensaries the Medical Marijuana Board discovered that Herbal Outfitters was growing the plants. The cultivation center had obtained a business license in June of 2010. Approximately 50 plants were ...
9 Nov 2011 Brush voters rejects marijuana centers
Brush News Tribune
And Brush voters chose to prohibit medical marijuana facilities by a margin of two to one. This year's ballots were fairly simple, because there were few contests or ballot measures. In Brush, only one council seat was contested, and it was close with ...
7 Nov 2011 Has Medical Marijuana Peaked?
CelebStoner (blog)
Courts all across the Ninth Circuit have ruled that medical marijuana use does not protect patients from job discrimination and patients still experience housing, child custody and medical procedure discrimination on a daily basis.6 Nov 2011 Colorado regulators shut marijuana dispensary as Earth's Medicine owners face ...
Denver Post
John Ingold State medical-marijuana regulators have closed a dispensary whose owners are facing federal charges for allegedly operating a black-market marijuana-growing warehouse. The state Medical Marijuana Enforcement Division ordered Earth's ...
4 nov 2011 Medical marijuana ban defeated in Palisade | MMJ Center Ban Approved in Ft. Collins
Westword (blog)
This week, Fort Collins voters approved a medical marijuana retail ban. However, electorates in several other communities rejected similar measures, including Steamboat Springs and, most surprisingly, Palisade, a Western Slope burg ...
4 Nov 2011 Fort Collins Votes to Ban Dispensaries
HIGH TIMES
by Mark Miller Though Colorado is the second most progressive medical marijuana state after California, the city of Fort Collins has tentatively voted to ban medical cannabis businesses on Tuesday, becoming yet another regional community in the Rocky ...
3 Nov 2011 State closes medical-marijuana dispensary
9NEWS.com
The notice read, "Medical marijuana license application for these premises have been denied by order of the state licensing authority for violations of the Colorado medical marijuana code."
2 Nov 2011 3 towns reject bans on marijuana businesses | 3 towns shut down marijuana centers
NECN
DENVER (AP) — Voters in three Colorado cities have voted to allow medical marijuana businesses to operate in town, while those in three other cities have decided against it. The Colorado Municipal League says that according to results Tuesday, ...
2 Nov 2011 Dispensary Stays, Palisade Voters Tax Sales
KJCT8.com
And, Palisade is moving forward with a spot in its community for medical marijuana. "We're glad that the people of palisade had the opportunity to have an election and make a decision," Diane Cox with Safe and Health Mesa County said. ...
Voters in at least 40 jurisdictions will decide in this election whether they want medical-marijuana dispensaries in their communities.
The wave of ballot measures will provide the best insight since the state's medical-marijuana boom began into how a broad spectrum of Colorado voters feels about the current system. But medical-marijuana advocates insist that any decisions to ban dispensaries should not be viewed as a broader indictment of medical marijuana.
"If a large number of these measures pass, it's not because people want to deny medicine to their neighbors," said Betty Aldworth, executive director of the pro-dispensary group Coloradans for Medical Marijuana Regulation. "It's that we haven't effectively educated voters on the needs of their neighbors."
The elections are an outgrowth of a bill the legislature passed earlier this year that gives cities and counties explicit authority to either ban or regulate dispensaries. Since Gov. Bill Ritter signed that bill into law, officials in 25 cities have decided to ban dispensaries, while officials in 19 other cities have enacted dispensary regulations, according to a list compiled by the Colorado Municipal League.
Voters in 26 cities from tiny Hillrose in eastern Colorado to Aurora, the largest Colorado city currently without a dispensary - will have a choice on the ballot whether to allow dispensaries. Voters in 14 counties will also decide on allowing dispensaries in the unincorporated parts of the county.
A coalition of medical-marijuana- connected businesses has filed a lawsuit in El Paso County seeking to get that county's ballot initiative tossed out. Because the county first decided to regulate dispensaries - after which several opened - and now might ban them, attorney Jessica Corry said the measure amounts to a "regulatory taking" that would force existing, lawful businesses to close shop.
"We're fighting for not just the constitutional rights of patients but for that long-cherished Colorado ethos of live and let live," Corry said.
Other unresolved lawsuits argue that local bans are illegal, advocates say, because dispensaries are protected by the Colorado Constitution.
El Paso County's measure has drawn perhaps the most interest. A group called Citizens for Safer Communities has taken in about $3,800 in contributions - many from dispensaries - to fight a ban. Meanwhile, a group organized by Fountain resident Kenneth Lippincott to support bans in El Paso County and Fountain has collected about $2,400. That group's largest donor is St. Dominic Catholic Church in Security.
Ban opponents say that eliminating dispensaries forces medical-marijuana patients into the black market and marijuana sales into residential neighborhoods. Lippincott, who coordinates a neighborhood watch program in his community, said he supports a ban because he worries commercial sales of marijuana could lead to bigger social problems and crime.
"I'm afraid what's coming on the tail end of the pot shops is hard-core meth and other drugs," Lippincott said.
Indeed, the elections may offer an early hint at how inclined Colorado voters would be to expand marijuana access through a possible 2012 legalization ballot initiative. But Mason Tvert, head of the pro-legalization group SAFER, said he doesn't think that's the case.
"I'm not really looking at them as an indicator to move forward," Tvert said. "These votes are specific to medical marijuana . . . which is not the same as broader marijuana regulation."