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Eleven Ways the Trump Administration May Try to Kill Legal Marijuana

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By on Elections, Follow that story, Legalize It, Legislation, News
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Members of the Justice Department’s Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety have been ordered to “undertake a review of existing policies” regarding federal marijuana law enforcement, among other things. Their report is due on or before July 27, and the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws believes the document may use as its template a list by a fellow at the ultra-conservative Heritage Foundation of eleven ways the administration of President Donald Trump can shut down legal cannabis.

The tactics, shared below, include employing the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), as was just allowed via a ruling in a potentially groundbreaking marijuana-smell lawsuit in Colorado earlier this month.

Records Show Arizona ‘Faith’ Agency Boss Did Work for Anti-Prop-205 Campaign on Office Time

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By on Elections, Legalize It

moak-debbie-gage-skidmoreDebbie Moak, director of the Arizona Governor’s Office of Youth, Faith and Family, worked closely with the group that helped defeat Proposition 205 in November.

That much is not in dispute. But did Moak use the resources of her office — including her work time — improperly to campaign against the marijuana-legalization measure?

Moak denies it, but e-mails New Times obtained from the governor’s office under Arizona’s public-records law show that to some extent she did.

Gage Skidmore

 

Why Did Arizona Just Say No to Marijuana Legalization in 2016?

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By on Elections
prop-205-viewing-party-crescent-ballroom-011Benjamin Leatherman

Marijuana legalization has apparently failed in Arizona, with uncounted votes unlikely to turn the defeat into victory as they did with the state’s medical-marijuana measure in 2010.

As evidence mounts that the gulf between the “no” and “yes” votes on Prop 205 is too vast for the measure to catch up, cannabis supporters are left with one burning question: How could this happen in Arizona, when voters in California and as many as five other states approved the legalization of recreational or medical marijuana?

 

The State of Marijuana in the Age of Donald Trump

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By on Elections, News
donald-trump-marijuana-smokingWestword File Photo Illustration

Marijuana enthusiasts could have plenty to worry about during a Donald Trump presidency. Aside from being a racist, Trump’s attorney general, Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, has made disparaging remarks about marijuana, even insisting that he thought the KKK “were okay until I found out they smoked pot.” In other words, the country’s top attorney thinks marijuana is more evil than the KKK. And before you celebrate Denver’s recent decision to expand the places in which people can toke, consider that it might be a hard initiative to implement. Keep reading for more on Sessions, the Yes on 300 Campaign, and how some marijuana advocates are fighting back against a potentially threatening administration.

Hold on to your bongs, ladies and gentlemen; the next four years will be quite the trip. Here are seven stories that show why:

Denver’s Office on Marijuana Policy: The Next Steps for Social Use

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By on Elections, Legalize It, News
sensi_partyBrandon Marshall

Now that the count is finally completed and Denver voters have approved the social use of marijuana, here’s the question everyone’s asking: What happens next?

The ordinance does not include a timeline that requires the city to start licensing businesses right away. Instead, Denver has a sixty-day window to create the application that a business will use to apply for a social-use permit, according to Dan Rowland, citywide communications advisor for the City and County of Denver. City officials will start drafting that application on Tuesday, November 22.

Arizona Rejects Prop 205 — With Support From Pro-Legalization Groups

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By on Elections, Legalize It, News
strainsScott Lentz

On the surface, Arizona’s rejection of Proposition 205, the Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act, seemed like a clear victory for the various anti-legalization organizations throughout the state. However, a look at the opposition and the contents of the proposition itself show a more complex political situation.

Arizona passed Prop 200 and legalized marijuana for medical use in 1996 — before Colorado did. Even so, Arizona was the only state out of nine with marijuana questions on the ballot to reject a marijuana measure this round. Over one million voters, constituting 52 percent of the result, voted against Prop 205. This despite the fact that Arizona has over 130 medical dispensaries in operation and Prop 205 was polling at 50 percent in October.  So what happened?

Denver Social Pot Use Opponent Predicts Big Problems Implementing 300

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By on Elections, Legalize It, News
vaping-youtubeYouTube

Yesterday, proponents of Initiated Ordinance 300 declared victory for the measure,  which will create a pilot program to allow adults to consume cannabis in permitted private establishments such as bars and restaurants.

But Rachel O’Bryan, who served as campaign manager for Protect Denver’s Atmosphere, the main organization opposing 300, is much less enthusiastic about the proposal’s belated win, which was finally announced a full week after election day. Indeed, she predicts a slew of problems when it comes to implementing the ordinance.

Social Pot Use Coming to Denver as Yes on 300 Campaign Finally Claims Victory

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By on Elections, Legalize It, News
yes-on-300-facebook-page-capitolFacebook

Update: The Yes on 300 campaign is claiming victory for Denver’s social marijuana ordinance, even though all the votes still haven’t been counted a full week after the November 8 election.

Monday evening, the campaign received what it describes as a “near-final tally” on the measure, which will create a pilot program to allow adults to consume cannabis in permitted private establishments such as bars and restaurants. Denver Elections currently shows 53.01 percent, or 151,049 votes, in favor of Initiated Ordinance 300, with 46.99 percent, or 133,876, against.

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