Shutterstock.com/Algirdas GelaziusColorado can now claim production of the first certified hemp seed in the United States after the Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies officially validated one of its varieties. Fort Collins-based New West Genetics submitted its trademarked ELITE hemp genetics for AOSCA certification and received approval in 2017, according to an announcement from the Colorado Department of Agriculture.
Ouachita Correctional CenterUpon learning that Denver Broncos receiver Carlos Henderson was arrested yesterday, January 14, on a marijuana charge, most NFL fans are likely to assume that such busts are common for members of the team, given Colorado’s reputation as a cannabis mecca. But, no: According to a comprehensive database of NFL players in trouble, Henderson is the first Bronco in more than seventeen years to be taken into custody for an alleged weed violation.
Shutterstock.comRetail cannabis industries across the country are reeling after United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a memo rescinding the Cole Memorandum, a 2013 policy that offered protection from federal prosecution for the cultivation, distribution and possession of pot in states where it is legal. In Colorado, the first state to authorize the legal sale of retail cannabis, the response has been quick…and, in many cases, furious
Westword archiveFour states legalized recreational marijuana in the 2016 election, following in the footsteps of Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Alaska and Washington, D.C. But in the year since, only Nevada made retail pot sales a reality. While California and Massachusetts are moving forward to enact permanent legislation and issue licenses for pot establishments, the future of weed in Maine, the fourth state where residents voted in favor of legalization, is at a standstill after a veto by the Republican governor.
Adam LarkeWhat’s Colorado’s favorite strain? Until recently, Blue Dream has almost always reigned supreme. But lately, other strains are pushing it out of the top slot in overall sales.
Jacqueline CollinsThe legal-marijuana industry in the United States is projected to reach nearly $10 billion in sales in 2017, a 33 percent rise over 2016, according to Arcview Market Research and BDS Analytics.
Scott LentzApproved by Colorado voters in November 2012, legal marijuana is now becoming mainstream in Colorado – but not without its fair share of controversy. New laws and regulations surrounding medical and recreational pot, a recent rise in legalization opponents thanks to United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions’s fear-mongering actions, and consolidation in Denver’s dispensary scene have all generated plenty of buzz.
For a rundown of what cannabis issues people have been talking about most this year, check out our ten most-read pot stories of 2017:
Thinkstock file photoWhile touting data in a federal report showing that marijuana use among Colorado teens is falling, attorney Brian Vicente, who co-authored Amendment 64, the measure that legalized limited recreational cannabis sales in the state, predicted that weed haters would try to twist the numbers to their advantage, and he was right. Days later, Colorado’s most prominent anti-pot organization is acknowledging the stats regarding teen use but raising alarm about the level of consumption among young adults.
ShutterstockThe World Health Organization, the health agency of the United Nations, has officially recommended that cannabidiol (CBD) not be internationally scheduled as a controlled substance. WHO research on CBD’s therapeutic use and side effects found that the cannabinoid was not a public danger.
U.S. SenateA new federal study shows that marijuana use among teens in Colorado has fallen below levels seen prior to the implementation of Amendment 64, the measure that legalized limited recreational cannabis sales in the state. Given the report’s origins, attorney and activist Brian Vicente, who co-authored Amendment 64, says haters of progressive marijuana laws, such as Attorney General Jeff Sessions, will find it more difficult than ever to suggest that these statistics are flawed.