Tag: Marijuana
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Marijuana cultivator files class-action lawsuit over state ‘distortions’ in excise tax collections
Plaintiff says state owes over $100 million in refunds The regulators of Colorado’s first-in-the-nation recreational marijuana market have allowed so many sham transactions in the industry to proliferate that honest cultivators and manufacturers shoulder an unfair excise tax burden, claims a lawsuit filed on Thursday that seeks class-action status. The lawsuit, filed by a large-scale…
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In private meeting, Colorado marijuana regulators acknowledge extent of illegal hemp sales
One regulator said the extent of the suspicious transactions would ‘explode your minds.’ This article was produced in partnership with ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network. A top regulator for Colorado’s Marijuana Enforcement Division acknowledged in a private meeting with industry representatives that the amount of chemically converted hemp being illegally sold as marijuana is far greater…
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Colorado bill allowing THC beverages to be sold at grocery stores, restaurants pulled by sponsor
A Denver Democrat decided on Tuesday to pull a proposal that would have allowed beverages with tetrahydrocannabinol or THC to be sold at locations like grocery stores, restaurants, and entertainment venues. THC is the psychoactive substance in cannabis, the chemical that gives people a high. Senate Bill 164 would have established a regulatory framework for…
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Federal shift on medical cannabis draws praise and concern in Colorado
Colorado’s response to the federal reclassification of medical cannabis ranged from industry leaders celebrating the development to youth advocacy groups warning that the change heightens the need for stronger protections for children. The U.S. Justice Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration today announced that medically-approved cannabis has been moved from Schedule I to Schedule III…
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Trump reclassifies state-licensed medical marijuana as a less-dangerous drug in a historic shift
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s acting attorney general on Thursday signed an order reclassifying state-licensed medical marijuana as a less-dangerous drug, a major policy shift long sought by advocates who said cannabis should never have been treated like heroin by the federal government. The order signed by Todd Blanche does not legalize marijuana for…
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Cannabis overhaul introduced in Colorado Senate
Colorado lawmakers on Wednesday introduced a measure that, if approved, would place a ballot proposal before voters this fall that contains changes backers say would improve consumer safety and overhauls how the marijuana industry is taxed. The proposed ballot initiative would fund a testing program, in which regulators would randomly buy marijuana products from dispensaries and test them for…
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Colorado marijuana regulators pledge crackdown on intoxicating hemp
Citing potential tax avoidance, ‘serious risk to public safety,’ Marijuana Enforcement Division warns companies about swapping illegal chemically converted hemp for marijuana This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with The Denver Gazette. Colorado regulators announced on Monday that they plan to crack down on companies that illegally substitute cheaper and…
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Adams County Detention Facility nurse charged with giving weed to inmate
A former contract nurse who worked in the Adams County Detention Facility was charged Friday with allegedly giving an inmate synthetic marijuana. Stephanie Bagwell, 52, was charged with introducing contraband to the second degree for allegedly introducing synthetic cannabinoids into the facility between Feb. 16 and March 3, according to news releases from the Adams…
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Democrats eye new taxes on alcohol, marijuana to fund Colorado mental health spending
Facing hundreds of millions in budget shortfall, Colorado lawmakers are searching for ways to fund mental health services in a state that, advocates say, has consistently ranked among the worst in the nation for mental health outcomes. Several proposals this session aim to generate new revenue for treatment and hospital beds. The ideas — including…
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Lawmakers propose raising excise taxes on alcohol, marijuana to fund mental health spending
Colorado lawmakers hope to refer a measure to the November ballot that would increase excise taxes on alcohol and marijuana, with the revenue going toward mental health and civil commitment facilities around the state. House Bill 1301, sponsored by Rep. Bob Marshall, D-Highlands Ranch, and Sen. Judy Amabile, D-Boulder, would impose sales tax increases of…